←back to thread

Trump to impose $100k fee for H-1B worker visas, White House says

(www.reuters.com)
1245 points mriguy | 5 comments | 19 Sep 25 19:59 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
roughly ◴[19 Sep 25 20:40 UTC] No.45306289[source]▶
I think there’s plenty of interesting debates to be had about immigration policy and its effects on the labor market, but one thing worth noting here is that the primary problem that damn near every other country on earth has isn’t immigration, it’s brain drain.

A core strategic strength of the US over the last century has been that everyone with any talent wants to come here to work, and by and large we’ve let them do so. You can argue how well that’s worked out for us - having worked with a great many extremely talented H1bs in an industry largely built by immigrants, I’d consider it pretty positive - but it damn sure hasn’t worked out well for the countries those talented folks came from.

replies(50): >>45306392 #>>45306449 #>>45306451 #>>45306457 #>>45306462 #>>45306472 #>>45306497 #>>45306499 #>>45306504 #>>45306532 #>>45306544 #>>45306577 #>>45306613 #>>45306652 #>>45306655 #>>45306707 #>>45306784 #>>45306794 #>>45306815 #>>45307051 #>>45307170 #>>45307207 #>>45307249 #>>45307273 #>>45307505 #>>45307522 #>>45307842 #>>45307910 #>>45307954 #>>45308178 #>>45308232 #>>45308290 #>>45308308 #>>45308580 #>>45309297 #>>45309977 #>>45310236 #>>45310640 #>>45310668 #>>45311024 #>>45311194 #>>45312042 #>>45312299 #>>45312339 #>>45312360 #>>45312401 #>>45312861 #>>45312907 #>>45313125 #>>45313178 #
jpadkins ◴[19 Sep 25 20:49 UTC] No.45306392[source]▶
The top end of H1B has been great for America. In the last few decades, there has been growth of abuse of the program to get mid level talent at below market rates which really hurts the middle class in America. People need to understand that most reformists don't want to get rid of the truly exceptional immigration to the US. We need to limit the volume, especially the immigrants that are directly competing with a hollowed out middle class in the US. Let me know if you want further reading on this topic.
replies(35): >>45306429 #>>45306435 #>>45306452 #>>45306463 #>>45306474 #>>45306548 #>>45306582 #>>45306752 #>>45306800 #>>45306892 #>>45306969 #>>45307193 #>>45307317 #>>45307655 #>>45308072 #>>45308087 #>>45308523 #>>45308562 #>>45308675 #>>45309429 #>>45310492 #>>45310518 #>>45310562 #>>45310643 #>>45310674 #>>45310927 #>>45311128 #>>45311281 #>>45311391 #>>45311977 #>>45311996 #>>45312059 #>>45312333 #>>45312341 #>>45312487 #
jb1991 ◴[19 Sep 25 20:54 UTC] No.45306452[source]▶
This is exactly correct. The H1B visa has not lived up to its original premise in quite some time. A very significant percentage of people who are now working on these visas are not offering anything beyond what is already available within the American workforce, except for lower compensation.
replies(2): >>45306541 #>>45306699 #
1. abletonlive ◴[19 Sep 25 21:01 UTC] No.45306541[source]▶
I’ve never worked with an H1B software engineer from India that was anything but mediocre. I know they exist and my sample size isn’t huge but at least 3-4 of the H1Bs I’ve directly worked with in the past decade were completely unnecessary and could have been filled by a US citizen
replies(1): >>45306619 #
2. gorbachev ◴[19 Sep 25 21:07 UTC] No.45306619[source]▶
A very large majority of all software engineers are mediocore or at least not exceptional.

I've worked with some extraordinary H1B sw engineers. I would say the ratio of great to mediocore is about the same as for non-H1B sw engineers.

replies(3): >>45306831 #>>45306910 #>>45306979 #
3. kelnos ◴[19 Sep 25 21:25 UTC] No.45306831[source]▶
I think perhaps part of the point being made is that the ratio should not be the same. We should be bringing in higher-than-average and exceptional talent via these visas. If we're just mirroring the skills and talent level of the native workforce, we should be drawing from the native workforce.

I don't buy the argument that there's a big shortage of talent for these jobs in the US, especially in a job market like there is right now.

Having said that, I do know quite a few people who have been in the US on H-1B visas, and many of them are exceptionally skilled. I think those are the kinds of people we should be granting H-1B visas. I also know quite a few H-1B holders who I wouldn't ever want to work with again, and there are too many people in that group. Not saying there aren't plenty of US citizens I wouldn't want to work with ever again, but that's a separate issue.

4. paulryanrogers ◴[19 Sep 25 21:32 UTC] No.45306910[source]▶
But isn't the point of H1B to bring in exceptional talent? Not create indentured servants of foreign workers?
5. bdangubic ◴[19 Sep 25 21:39 UTC] No.45306979[source]▶
> A very large majority of all software engineers are mediocre

I think my HN karma right now would be over 1,000,000 if it wasn't for all the downvotes each time I've said this same thing. I ballpark 95.87% of all SWEs are mediocre-to-less-than-that. I have 30 years of experience behind me to back this up :)

This "10x engineer" jazz is really just someone who is good-to-very-good compared to the rest of the crew