The Curse of the H1-B Visa Program

The report also states that "employers who used the Department of Labor's skill-based prevailing wage system classified most workers (56%) as being at the lowest skill level (Level I) as did most State Employment SecuritySecurity Agency (SESA) wage determinations (57%). This suggests that most H-1B computer workers are low-skilled workers who make no special contribution to the American economy, or that employers are deliberately understating workers' skills in order to justify paying them lower salaries." Alles zu Security auf CIO.de

To be sure, a number of companies eschew these practices. "That's a different business model and bears no resemblance to our companies' models," says the SIA's Wilson. "We don't want employees who are highly valued to be thought of as a fly-by-night labor model."

Some Proposals, and Some Hope

Several changes to the H1-B visa program are critical, experts say. One is increasing the wage floor, "so companies don't use guest workers for cheaper labor," says Professor Hira. He also would cap the percentage of any company's H1-B holders at 15 percent of its U.S. workforce.

The SIA's Wilson recommends that every qualified graduate student in a U.S. STEM program (science, technology, engineering and math), who has a bona fide job offer, be permitted to apply for a green card on an expedited basis. "You don't want to give a master's degree in engineering to a brilliant young engineer, then ship them home to a competitor," he says.