Why US Congress Would Be Foolish To Pass Anti-Immigration & H-1B Visa Bill

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I have read many articles in recent times since what is an anti-immigration and anti-H1B visa (and L-1 vis) legislation was submitted for debate in the US Congress.

The crux of the legislation is the ludicrous notion that 65,000 annual H-1B visas out of a workforce of over 150 million people (CIA figures) have helped be a major cause of the mass unemployment in the US. This equates to 0.4% of annual labor.

Then when you consider according to NASSCOM (National Association of Service and Software Companies), the average foreign engineer on H-1B visa only stays in the US for 2 years which is not even the full term of an H-1B visa which is 3 years.

Suddenly you see how ridiculous all this is and the arguments put forward by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) like;
“Some claim that the H-1B program helps to create American jobs, but it is currently being used by some companies to outsource American jobs to foreign countries.”
are all just an anti-immigrant and H-1B visa ruse to distract the US public from who is really to blame for the current  economy.

1. US Politicians who were in bed with corporate America and taking their kick backs, campaign contributions and gifts and providing little or no oversight over mass corruption and breaking of the law

2. US Corporations headed by US Executives (mainly in banking and financial sector) who engaged in practices that would mildly be described as extremely reckless while profiting individually regardless of the damage to their own companies or the general public who engage with them and economy as a whole

3, US Consumers for entering into mortgages they could not afford and racking up tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt.

It almost reminds you of that Simpson’s episode where Mayor Joe Quimby distracts the public blaming the high taxes on immigrants and the public believes it. The sad thing today is that this is real life and not an animated cartoon on Fox.

For arguments sake lets suppose there proposition that the H-1B visa and immigrants are really taking jobs away from US citizens are argue that statements on its own merits by looking at the facts.

Duke & Harvard University Researcher Vivek Wadhwa who did a study for the Kauffman Group found:

  • Half of all Silicon Valley engineers are foreign born, up from 10 percent in 1970, where US innovation for the last 4 decades has stemmed from Apple and Microsoft to Yahoo and Google
  • About 40 percent of all U.S. patents go to immigrants.
  • These immigrant-founded companies employed 450,000 workers and generated $52 billion in revenue in 2005.

To  go further if that does not convince somebody Yahoo, Google, Sun, Intel, Audiovox, Qualcomm, and eBay – were founded and led by immigrants whose successful companies today employ hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Imagine if all those brands were Chinese, Indian or Heaven Forbid to many Americans, even Arabic where many of these hard working entreprenuers and innovators are from. Would the US even be in it’s top place in the world today?

The study also found that many of the highly educated foreigners who came to the US for undergraduate, graduate and PHD degrees to the top universties in the US paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and spending each are chosing to return home because of the difficulty in obtaining an H-1B visa & more alarmingly the greater entrepreneurial opportunities back at home.

The New York Times recently profiled a young engineer for Google, Sanjay G. Mavinkurve, an Indian-born, American-educated entrepreneur who helped write the code for a website that would become Facebook. But now, Mr. Mavinkurve, who once proudly displayed an American flag in his college dorm room, must work in Canada because visa rules make it impracticable to move his wife and family to the United States.

Let me leave you with these final thoughts;

  • When Google built their moster Googleplex in Silicon Valley that seems to grow every day, how many American contruction companies and contractors built, extend and maintain that facility every day.
  • When the tens of thousands of Yahoo employees in Burbank go out for lunch each day to local eateries owned by hard working small businesses owned by Americans, how many US families does that feed.
  • At times like the upcoming Mother’s Day or Christmas, when millions of people all over the world purchase off eBay.com and eBay collects all that fee/commission revenue flowing into the US and then pays say 30% tax on their profits, how many roads does it build, young children does it feed and healthcare does it provide for (including Senator Durbin and Senator Grassley!!)

President Obama has signalled he doesn’t want the US to become an inward, protectionist nation. Well lets hope for all US citizens that holds true and this legislation does not pass as it would the first big dagger into US innovation and supremacy leading the world!

CJ

How to Get A Job on the E-3 Visa?

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If you read through my many posts on the E3 visa, you will realize I have already covered most of this information already in other parts in depth. However I thought I would a quick step by step guide of how a person can get a job on the E-3 visa in the US.

For reference previous posts include;
What is the E-3 Visa?
How much does it cost to get your E-3 Visa?

Do I need a Lawyer for my E-3 visa process?
Creating a US-style resume for E-3 visa job applications

Are their E-3 Visa jobs available for Australians right now?
E-3 visa terms and definitions

E-3 Visa Jobs
Extending, Renewing or Changing Employers on your E-3 Visa

E-3 Visas and Green Cards
How to explain the E-3 Visa to a prospective employer

E-3 Visa and the F-1 Student Visa
Laid off on an E-3 Visa

The E-3D Partner and Dependent Visa
E-3 Visa Job Interviews

So as you can see there is a really comprehensive list of resources and information we already have to help you land your E-3 Visa position and also informaiton in many other posts that is useful as well even though documented for other US visas.

In the E-3 visa jobs link above we mention some of the best tips like;
– sites to visit
– having a US phone number if you are overseas
– setting up job interviews
– using other visas as a stepping stone like the J-1 Internship visa and F-1 student visa
– looking at smaller companies beyond the well known brands

So I don’t want to re-hash directly information you can easily read in other article. However we will try to provide some new and different ideas as well as to how you can get your E-3 visa.

An interesting thing that I know from reading others experiences is that those on the E-3 visa who took a chance and went to many interviews found that once they were in the door they were looked upon favorably initially. Although it was more difficult to get that first interview and then sustain the enthusiastic interest right to the end of the process and a job offer.

More often than not you will either be directly competing with a local US candidate or the image in the head of the recruiter/employer of the ideal US candidate. So you kind of have to show qualities that said US candidate is unlikely to or does not process.
Unlike Australians, the US are much more global in their business thinking (i.e. think to the fact and mindset they call the champions of the US NBA and Major League Baseball “world champions) so the fact that you already are a global person is something you should emphasize in interview answers while ensuring you have complete grasp of US concepts.
So for example if a question is asked about your experience in said field and your thoughts on the current market, give answers from both a US perspective and a foreign/global perspective.

You will obviously be assessed on your ability to fit in an organization and this is where you do have an advantage. The general and relaxed nature and demeanor of an Aussie versus an American comes across naturally if you just remain personable in your usual way. Of course ensure the fact you have strong desires and work ethic is coming across too while keeping that demeanor.

In the US as I state a lot they are a lot more upfront about salary and bonus requirements and it may be one of the earliest questions you get asked in an initial phone interview. This is something I learned over time that being firm in your response (which is unnatural to many Australians when talking about money) of what you are worth will convey to the interviewer many of the above qualities as well as an understanding of the industry. Of course if your demand is way way off the said industries general scales you may also be discounted at that point too.

If you are within the US, and you are applying in other cities and locales, often the prospective employer will pay for you travel expenses to get to an interview so do not be shy to ask. Also take it as a good sign that they do accept as at this stage you know at least they are pretty serious about your candidacy.

Finally ensure that you talk about benefits in your interview chats. Of course in Australia, Health Insurance is not really a topic of comversation with employers and Time off and Sick Leave is often assumed to be industry standards of 4 weeks and 2 weeks respectively. In the US, you should ensure your employer is covering your medical, dental and optical insurance and probably a life insurance package along with a 401(k) plan which is their non-mandatory equivalent of superannuation in Australia.

As for time off if you are getting 3 weeks annually you are doing well for an initial start and remember most companies allow you to take unpaid leave as well should you need more. Sick leave is weird in the US in that some companies don’t even have it all and it just approved based on your circumstances. Generally a good workplace will let you be an adult with this but abuse of it tends to be looked upon unfavorably come bonus, promotion and these days lay-off times.

Good Luck 🙂

CJ