These are mostly IT Techs
from India being pushed by International Temp Services. I expect they will go
to “big data” projects to package your consumer activity and sell it and
increase internet advertising…great. Some may go to utilities like electrical
power generators and replace US citizens. We really don’t need them to replace
US citizens.
Companies Sweetening H-1B
Deals by Offering Green Cards: Study, by Nate Swanner, 3/19/19
As H-1B hiring continues to dog
frustrated domestic tech pros, a new study shows companies are offering green
cards to foreign workers who agree to come stateside via the visa program.
Envoy
Global, a company
focused on helping companies sponsor and manage work visas globally, recently
published a study showing 66 percent of queried employers say they offer green
cards to employees with work visas. The same percentage say they begin the
green card process on behalf of H-1B and other visa holders the first year
they’re employed with the company.
“Leading companies think about
immigration strategically. For example – companies that offer foreign nationals
benefits that allow them to remain in the U.S. longer are finding more success
in retaining foreign talent,” says Richard Burke, CEO of Envoy Global. “With
heightened political scrutiny comes heightened anxiety among foreign nationals
looking to work in the U.S. Companies that are able to provide their employees
peace of mind by offering them a clear path to a permanent green card are
getting ahead of the competition in retaining the best talent.”
Costs aren’t spared, either. Envoy
Global found 80 percent of employers who sponsor foreign employees via a visa
program like H-1B pay for all fees related to obtaining a green card. Although
companies typically have a ‘payback’ agreement if a green card worker quits
before the agreed-upon employment time has concluded, less than half (49
percent) require continued employment for H-1B and similarly visa’ed employees.
Envoy points to competition as a main
driver for companies offering green cards to visa employees. “Now more than
ever, foreign national employees are looking for the peace of mind and security
associated with long-term sponsorship,” writes Envoy. “When choosing between
competing offers for positions in the U.S., a path to permanent residence is a
powerful incentive.”
In addition to the 66 percent who start
the green card process within the first year of service, an additional 28
percent of companies hiring H-1B and other visa employees say they initiate the
permanent residence process within five years of hiring a foreign worker,
drawing a direct path to citizenship.
If this sounds alarming, it
shouldn’t. The Trump administration has been
effective with
regard to reforming the H-1B program, but its policies also send mixed signals.
Earlier this year, Trump suggested the H-1B visa program may open up a direct path to citizenship to “bring both simplicity and
certainty” for foreign-born tech employees staying stateside.
Elsewhere, outsourcing and consulting
firms that handle H-1B visas are suing the government to open the
floodgates. Over 40
lawsuits claim U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is far too
stringent in approving H-1B visa applications, and would like regulations
relaxed.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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