This is a tough call. With the economy on the down slope and economic recovery not expected until sometime in 2010, at least, employees are faced with tighter restrictions on the hiring of immigrant workers requiring HB-1 Visas. These visas are generally awarded to skilled workers, often in the engineering, technology and financial sectors. In the past there have been more applications for the H-1B than the quantity of visas extended.
There were 85,000 H-B1 Visas made available last year. To qualify, an immigrant should demonstrate desirable skills and have graduated with no less than a bachelor’s degree. Such prospective employees are desirable for their skill sets and education and have done much to support the American workforce during better times.
So now with the economy in the doldrums employers are under pressure to hire American citizen first. It had been argued by some that there is no shortage of American workers. There are a plethora of American computer programmers seeking jobs. There remains a need for heath care workers, pharmacy assistants, nurses, and such.
Somewhere, given the economy there will be a natural balance between skilled foreign workes and domestic employees. The balance may find stasis far more easily than the unskilled and undocumented workers trying to find jobs in this recession.
Then there is the issue of fraud. There are employers who have brought in foreign workers under misleading skill sets. The application for the H-1B declares the foreign employment candidate is being considered for a more intensive position while in fact they are being hired for a much lesser job . As many of 20% of the applications are rife with fraudulent and misleading informaton. Immigrant officials now claim they are keeping a more watchful eye on applicants for H-1B’s. They have beefed up their fraud unit from a mere dozen officers in 2004 to more than 650 at present.
We suggest that the fraud units intensify background checks. The background screening process should include the international education verification to be sure these applicants do in fact qualify under the H-1B proviso.
In all, this is always a tough question to address. Who to let in? Who to keep out? The wrong choice can either flood the job market where those on H-1B’s typically arn $12,000 less income per year than domestic employees. On the other hand, we can refuse admittance to some very talented people who in the long run may prove terrific assets to the American economy.
