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Comment by kevin_thibedeau | Hacker News Reader

Last I checked they were the #1 sponsor for EEs/Computer Engineers. It's appalling that Congress looks the other way when abuse is clearly evident.

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When you pay the exact amount of money and benefits and sometimes even more as joining bonus and stocks awards for a H1B employee, how can this be an abuse of the system?

The argument "we can't fill all these open positions, please let us bring in foreign workers" then firing 10,000 people contradicts why they want the government to deregulate the system.

The company has to refocus and change the way it was working, and requires restructuring because of recent losses. This cannot be associated with its stand on a law. If Google has a glowing quarter results and says it needs more H1B workers are you willing to accept its stand?

My point was the idea that H1B workforce in companies like Intel, or Google is cheap is just a myth.

No, it just means none of the 10k people were qualified enough. They were not fit for the open positions. Otherwise there is no sense in hiring an H1B with the same salary plus all the H1B related fees and expenses.

> Otherwise there is no sense in hiring an H1B with the same salary plus all the H1B related fees and expenses

I am sure some employers will perceive them as more compliant employees, given their visa status depends on their continued employment.

If you're looking for compliant employees, why go through the trouble of hiring an h1b employee, bringing them from a different country and paying all the fees associated with processing visas and probably a green card process, and paying them the same or higher (usually, the outsourcing body shops are generally the places that play below market for h1b) ... if you can just find and American to do the same thing?

Hell when you get rid of an h1b worker there are even costs associated with revoking their visa and possibly paying for their flight back!

> If you're looking for compliant employees, why go through the trouble of hiring an h1b employee, bringing them from a different country and paying all the fees associated with processing visas and probably a green card process, and paying them the same or higher (usually, the outsourcing body shops are generally the places that play below market for h1b) ... if you can just find and American to do the same thing?

The argument is that you can't, because American workers know their rights - rights that every employee should have and stand on, but sadly those from other countries don't always know about.

Intel sponsors the green card of their employees.

Just saying'.

The issue is a bit more complex than that (and I doubt middle management has a firm enough grasp on how to let go 10,000 people within a shot-time frame with proper diligence). There is a vested interest in deregulating the immigration system because it will drive down skilled labor costs, not filling "open" positions allows them to perpetuate their agenda at no cost to them (outside of a job listing). Anyone who has to work under the threat of deportation is going to work harder on average than someone who isn't. It's good for productivity, but bad for all the skilled labor in this country, INCLUDING the people who want to immigrate here for a better life, because they'll be subjected to it eventually too.

The same thing seems to happen everywhere. In Germany the industry proclaims they're in need of around 50.000 software engineers, but if look for a job, you won't find that demand. Last year VW alone advertised they intend to hire 35.000 software engineers. I don't buy the numbers at all.

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