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1233 points mriguy | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.609s | source
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stephen_cagle ◴[] No.45308942[source]
This straight 100k to the top is not a good way to implement this. It should be a percentage (say 50%, we can talk about what the number should actually be) of the total compensation that is being paid to the H1B. We should also just completely remove caps on H1B.

This allows companies that truly want extraordinary talent to pay a premium to acquire it with no red tape . It also makes it far less likely that they can significantly underpay foreign workers to work in the united states and undercut American employees (at a 50% surcharge, you would have to pay 2/3 the prevailing salary to break even (assuming all employees are the same)).

The 50% number is something I made up, I think we can have an honest discussion about what that number should realistically be (and it should probably be different for different industries). But my main point is it should simply be a percentage tax paid on top of all compensation for foreign employees. This is the correct way to balance domestic companies undercutting domestic labor, while allowing them to access genuinely extraordinary talent with no impedance.

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thatfrenchguy ◴[] No.45309030[source]
Or we could have a functioning smart government who lets say, Nvidia or Apple hire more folks and Infosys less instead of having a lottery? Folks on H1B pay federal income taxes
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1. pwarner ◴[] No.45309136[source]
There was a proposal for an auction. Highest prices get the visas.
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2. elAhmo ◴[] No.45311140[source]
That would just make the top companies get all the talent and new players and startups to stop hiring internationally.
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3. czl ◴[] No.45313552[source]
If you have an auction or allocate the immigration quota based on highest immigrant worker compensation the quota will be filled by those most in demand being hired by those with the most urgent need for them.

That top companies can offer the highest wages and attract the best talent is desirable -- think how things would be if the opposite was true.