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Comment by alephnerd | Hacker News Reader

L-1 has been broken for decades as well. The same problems that impact an H1B impact an L1 as well.

The only way abuse of both visas can stop is if they are not tied to an employer, allowing free movement of labor. Thus, if someone is talented and at TCS then they can either demand a salary equal to their skill or go to an employer who can offer that salary.

Additonally, federal, state, and local governments need to start playing the subsidy game that Poland, Romania, Czechia, India, Israel, and other companies play to attract offshore offices.

> H1B is mostly "posturing" at this point, as voters don't know about other options

I disagree. This was clearly timed to distract and overshadow the Gold and Platinum card announcement.

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> the subsidy game that Poland, Romania, Czechia, India, Israel, and other companies play to attract offshore offices.

Do you mean US government must dramatically reduce cost of living by offering subsidized housing, investing in education, healthcare etc? When I hire, I never consider USA and nobody pays me to find skilled labor in Eastern or Central Europe. You can pay one half of American salary there and people will be put in upper middle class with such income, being able to afford a lot and living comfortable life.

> The only way abuse of both visas can stop is if they are not tied to an employer, allowing free movement of labor.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary...

    Changing or Leaving Your H-1B Employer
    Q. What is “porting”?

    A. There are two kinds of job portability, or “porting,” available based on two different kinds of employer petitions:

    H-1B petition portability: Eligible H-1B nonimmigrants may begin working for a new employer as soon as the employer properly files a new H-1B petition (Form I-129) requesting to amend or extend H-1B status with USCIS, without waiting for the petition to be approved. More information about H-1B portability can be found on our H-1B Specialty Occupations page.

    ...

    Q. How do I leave my current employer to start working for a new employer while remaining in H-1B status?

    A. Under H-1B portability provisions, you may begin working for a new employer as soon as they properly file a non-frivolous H-1B petition on your behalf, or as of the requested start date on the petition, whichever is later. You are not required to wait for the new employer’s H-1B petition to be approved before beginning to work for the new employer, assuming certain conditions are met. For more details about H-1B portability, see our H-1B Specialty Occupations page, under “Changing Employers or Employment Terms with the Same Employer (Portability).”

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Someone on a H-1B visa can change jobs as soon as the other employer files a form I-129 to hire them.

That process remains tied to an employer, which is the very point that was originally made.

Many employers simply won’t do that paperwork by policy and treat that process as no different than sponsorship.

It still means you cannot, for instance, quit to escape intolerable conditions, unless you already have another job lined up.

It also means that you're much, much less likely to find another employer willing to fill out the paperwork to hire you—especially if they also have to pay the $100k fee (yes, I know, the announcement doesn't say they have to—wanna take bets on whether Trump would say they do if he learned that it's possible?).

Is Trump the great puppet master people believe him to be, or more likely someone like Lutnick? Think about that. It’s hard to imagine a fool that’s more easy to manipulate than Trump, and I was here for GW Bush!

...I don't particularly credit any grand strategy to Trump, nor do I think my post suggested that?

It's possible that someone intended the knock-on effects I describe, but I would say it's just as likely that it's pure coincidence that they support the right's desire to hurt labor as a whole.

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