https://youtu.be/zmY6-2idC1o
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Didn’t click the link, but saw the diatribe below. Someone needs to lay off pipe when using AI.
When the kool-aid sours and it’s too late to do anything … remember to look back on this post.
TLDR - this is not the space for your commercial
While initially hesitant to make a video about tech hiring in Silicon Valley, particularly about H-1B visas, I've changed my mind. I was concerned about just complaining without offering a helpful perspective. However, after learning about a new project and the mechanics of the H-1B program, I've realized there are some aspects that need to be brought to light. This program affects not only American tech graduates but also the foreign workers who are hired through it.
The H-1B Visa and Tech Hiring
The tech industry accounts for a significant portion of all H-1B visas issued, holding 90% to 95% of them. These visas allow US companies to hire a foreign national for a skilled position for up to three years, with a potential extension to six. Claims of a tech employee shortage in the US seem dubious when you look at the numbers. In 2023, US colleges graduated 134,153 US citizens and permanent residents with degrees in computer science. In the same year, 110,000 visas were issued to international computer science degree holders. The math doesn't add up when you consider that, according to data from the NYC Federal Reserve Bank, 22.6% of recent computer science graduates in the US were underemployed or unemployed.
Last year alone, a handful of major tech companies brought in thousands of H-1B visa holders: Amazon (9,200), Microsoft (4,700), Meta (4,800), Apple (3,800), Google (5,800), and Tesla (1,700). These six companies collectively issued more new H-1B visas in a single year than the number of recent US computer science graduates who were unable to find work.
The Exploitative Nature of the Program
When a company wants to hire an H-1B worker, it’s a two-step process. To comply with labor laws, the job opening must be publicly listed. To get around this, companies often use a dual approach. First, the public listing is made as confusing and obscure as possible, such as being listed on a hard-to-find webpage or in a classified ad in a very low-circulation newsletter. Second, the company’s actual recruitment is done through alumni networks of foreign universities, most notably the Indian Institutes of Technology. This process allows companies to find an applicant pool they can pay significantly less without complaint, due to factors like cost-of-living differences and a power imbalance.
The H-1B program is not only detrimental to American job seekers, but it is also grossly exploitative of the visa holders themselves. Companies can offer a hiring manager a choice between an American willing to do a job for $120,000 a year and someone willing to do the same job for $60,000 a year. Of course, the company will choose the cheaper option. A worker on an H-1B visa cannot easily leave their job because their ability to remain in the US is tied to their employment. This can lead to a culture of exploitation and overwork, with 60-, 80-, or even 100-hour workweeks becoming standard practice.
This also impacts housing. Workers putting in such long hours have little time at home, which has led to the illegal practice of converting apartments and houses into dormitory-style housing. A three-bedroom house that might rent for $1,500 a month to a family could be rented to nine individuals for $300 a month each, generating a total of $2,700 a month for the landlord. This system contributes to rising rental costs for everyone else without being transparent.
Economic and Social Effects
People come to the US on H-1B visas with a mindset similar to those joining the military: they are here to work hard for a few years, save as much as they can, and then return home with a significant amount of money. The H-1B visa is not for long-term residency; it’s a temporary position for three to six years. Because of the difference in cost of living, a salary earned in an expensive US city is worth considerably more in their home country.
This practice has an economic impact on the US. The supposed GDP boost from hiring these workers fails to materialize because a large portion of their wages is saved rather than spent. Every dollar paid is not only being saved but is often being removed from the country's economy entirely. This "revolving door" mindset has also contributed to negative perceptions of foreign tech workers, especially those from India. This has led to a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment. The key issue is that these individuals are not immigrants. The negative stereotypes often applied to H-1B workers—such as clannishness and unwillingness to integrate—make sense for a group of people who are here for a temporary work tour. However, these stereotypes are unfairly applied to Indian immigrants and Indian-Americans who have legally immigrated and built lives in the US, often over multiple generations.
The PERM Application and a Potential Solution
So, what can be done? We need to pressure elected officials to reform these practices. Another solution is a website called jobs.now, which is the reason I’m making this video.
When a company wants to keep an H-1B employee permanently, they file for a Permanent Employment Certification (PERM). This certificate is a step toward obtaining a green card. Part of the criteria is demonstrating that no qualified American applicant can fill the position. Companies often try to meet this requirement by listing the job in an obscure way, similar to the initial H-1B listings.
Jobs.now scrubs labor board filings for these specific listings and puts them on a regular, easy-to-use job site. If a qualified American citizen applies for one of these jobs, it can cause major problems for the PERM application. The right for a visa holder to remain is contingent upon there being no qualified Americans available. Since PERM applications are often filed at the end of the visa period, this can result in the application's denial and the position opening for a legitimate search. If a company then chooses to hire another H-1B worker despite having a qualified American applicant on file, it could open them up to a lawsuit.
This practice harms everyone except the owners of tech companies who want to pay employees half as much for twice the work. It is the responsibility of citizens to bring this to a halt. The only reasons to oppose what jobs.now is doing are greed and what could be considered treason. So, for American college students entering the tech job market, applying for these jobs is a crucial step in creating change. Let the great job hunt begin.