"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde |
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself." -- Proverbs 11:25 |
Like last year, Bill Gates will be expected to be the only person to appear before Congress to address this issue. He will testify that Americans are too simple-minded for technical work and that only foreign workers have the talent and ability to take on these jobs. Also like last year, people like Kim Berry from The Programmers Guild are expected to rebut each and every charge, and declare that the only shortages Microsoft, Cisco, and Oracle et al are facing is a shortage of Americans who will do the work at substandard wages.The topic of the hearing is familiar ground for Gates on Capitol Hill. But what makes his scheduled appearance on March 12 potentially explosive is its timing, less than three weeks before the start of the annual application rush for H-1B visas.
April 1 is the first day that U.S. immigration authorities will begin accepting H-1B applications for the federal government's 2009 fiscal year, which begins in October. Last year, the government stopped taking applications after receiving about 150,000 in a single day — far more than enough to exhaust the annual cap of 65,000 regular visas and 20,000 set aside for foreign nationals who have advanced degrees from U.S. universities.
I nominate this story for the annual March Surprise, where the important-sounding National Foundation for American Policy (which, according to Rob Sanchez, is merely a front for H-1B cheerleader Stuart Anderson), issued a report claiming that 5 to 7.5 jobs are created for Americans for every H-1B worker hired. I have some severe doubts as to the cause and effect of jobs magically appearing for Americans every time an H-1B visa is issued, and so does Rob Sanchez. He should have one of his Newsletters devoted to this issue showing up in his archives within the next few days."Everyday we're learning more and more, but it appears that most H-1B visas are going to foreign-based companies," said Grassley, in a statement. "U.S. businesses that need highly skilled workers are getting the short end of the stick."
In regard to the leasing of H-1B workers, Grassley, in his letter to Chertoff, charged that "hundreds" of foreign workers are "standing by, waiting for work" and are being offered for lease by their employers. The information about this practice came from a constituent in Iowa, not identified in the letter, who was being "bombarded" by these requests to lease H-1B workers, wrote Grassley.
"My constituent even said one company went so far to require him to sign a memorandum of understanding that helps the H-1B "factory firm" justify to the federal government that they have adequate business opportunity that requires additional visa holders," wrote Grassley. "It's a complete falsification of the market justification for additional H-1B workers."
Labels: Bill Gates, employment, H-1Bs, outsourcing