Stanford H-1B Controversy Still Simmering

Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 5:15 PM

H-1B and JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

Vishal Dhiandia, an international student sure understands H-1B. She
said that "many times they just take workers from India and Asia, pay
for their plane fares and end up saving by paying them less than
American workers."

Some Stanford students understand that they will be priced out of the
job market even before they graduate, and they are protesting. Here is
that infamous flyer that was posted around campus:
http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Library/Archives/StanfordFlyer.htm

http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=10911&repository=0001_article

STANFORD DAILY - April 16, 2003 Print Article Close Window

Congress tackles hot-topic H-1Bs

By Julie Lein
New Writer
Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Congress is currently tackling the hot topic of the H-1B visa, which
allows U.S. firms to recruit skilled workers abroad for employment in
the United States. The program is seen by some as an opportunity for
foreign nationals to work and study in the United States and by others
as harming American jobseekers.
Fliers reading Beware! H-1B and L1 visa programs forcing Americans into
unemployment were disseminated in Escondido Village and Rains Houses in
the beginning of March. The posters pushed H-1B visas to the forefront
of issues for Stanford students, many of whom say they face foreign
competition in the job market; however, many students were angered by
the fliers and labeled them racist.

In light of the increasing criticism of the H-1B visas, Congress has
begun to take new look at its H-1B policies. The cap for H-1B visas in
1990 was set at 65,000 workers. By 2000, the limit was set at 195,000,
due to successful lobbying by the technology industry. The following
year, 163,000 H-1Bs were issued. Despite the dramatic increase, the
number fell significantly to 79,100 H-1Bs last year.

H-1B visas allow corporations to hire foreigners possessing unique
skills that cannot be found among American applicants. The H-1B has
earned the nickname tech visa since 10 to 15 percent of workers in
professional technology are foreigners reliant upon this temporary
green card. Comparatively, only 5.8 percent of workers from other job
sectors are H-1B foreigners.

There are huge benefits to hiring foreign workers, said sophomore
Vishal Dhiandia, an international student. Many times they just take
workers from India and Asia, pay for their plane fares and end up
saving by paying them less than American workers.

The ties between Silicon Valleys dominance in software and the
steadily declining job market in the area lead many people to see
foreign competitors on H-1B visas as a threat. Unemployment is
currently 8 percent in Silicon Valley, 2 percent higher than the
national average. This link may have prompted some Stanford students to
participate in what others call xenophobic and close-minded assumptions
about foreign competition.

Corinna Loeckenhoff, a doctoral candidate in psychology, told The Daily
last month that international students are often unfairly targeted.

A lot of H-1B visa holders are actively recruited by American companies
in their home country, she said. Thus, it is not true that all
international students eventually end up on a work visa.

Congressional legislation in 2000 allowed for H-1B portability in
attempts to alleviate the employment constraints felt by H-1B holders.
With this recent legislation, the H-1B holder is permitted to find
another job, in which case these workers are in direct competition with
American jobseekers.

In October 2003, the cap on H-1Bs will return to 65,000. The fate of
further H-1B legislation is still very debatable, with interest groups
on both sides of the debate.

Even though many may worry about students perception of Indians and
Asians, two groups that have been targeted as beneficiaries of H-1B
visas, the general Stanford sentiment does not seem to be against the
international community.

The fliers simply claimed an opinion [or] fear and didnt seem to
constitute a real threat to international students, said Stanford
student Ying Wong.

Even so, there is general concern for the inflammatory language used to
describe H-1B holders. While H-1B visas bring students into the United
States for research purposes, they are expected to reciprocate both by
conducting research and by serving as teaching assistants.

Article URL:
http://www.stanforddaily.com/tempo?page=content&repository=0001_arti
cle&id=10911

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