H-1Belittling
Ooh, I’m grumpy at this InfoWorld article which makes your standard “Bloody foreigners! Coming across here and stealing our jobs, sleeping with our food, and eating our wives and children” argument about computer programmers. For those unware, H1B is a specific visa that allows a non-US citizen to work in the US for a specific employer, for no more than six years. And it’s how I entered the country in 1998.
Unfortunately, he fails to link to the original report, instead cherry picking facts like “On average, applications for H-1B workers in computer occupations were for wages $13,000 less than Americans in the same occupation and state.”
Note that he just refers to “workers in computer occupations”. Not “workers in computer occupations with three years experience”. Apparently, every programmer is created equal. I’d hazard that most H1-B holders are like I was—Just out of university, and wanting to move to the States. If that’s the case, then it makes sense that the “average” H1-B holder gets paid less than the “average” permanent resident. They’re probably less experienced.
Also, the sources quoted seem very apples and oranges. The H1B salaries were taken from the information filed at the time the H1B holder was hired. In my first job, my salary went up by 50% over the two years I was employed there, but that was never reported to the immigration services. On the other hand, the Bureau of Labour statistics are refreshed every few months by asking employers for salary information.
I’d love to see the original report to know for sure, but for now it looks like nothing more than fodder for anti-immigration fuckwits.
UPDATE: Although the report isn’t on their site, I’ve just found the authors, The Programmers Guild. Wow, they’re a lot closer to the Minuteman Militia than I’d imagined.
UPDATE2: Ephraim Schwartz, author of the article, has responded in my comments. Thanks, Ephraim.
On Tuesday, October 25, 2005, Ephraim Schwartz commented:
Well, I guess you keep your audience with your sparkling humor, such as fuckwits. Hard for me to respect your arguments when you stoop to mindless name calling.
Nevertheless, I'm all for hiring new immigrants in the U.S. Immigration is what has made America such a powerful, innovative country. Not that we don't have faults but we do have a few pluses also.
My columns on H-1B visas tries to discuss what is fair not mindless hate mongering of anyone who was not born in the U.S.
I think it is unfair to hire people at a lower than prevailing wage because you can get away with it. You can get away with it because these folks are in a strange country and want to stay to learn or to immigrate I suppose.
Finally, the report will be made public in a few weeks I am told. I was sent an advance copy under the promise of confidentiality.
Again, I hope your realize how easy it is to make yourself look good by knocking someone else down. But, if that's the best you can do, so be it.
All the best,
Ephraim Schwartz
Editor-at-Large
InfoWorld