Educational CyberPlayGround ®

The Scams and Problems of H-1B Visas

Contributed by Robert B. Johnson, SE, PE
Daytime Telephone : (312) 228-1115
E-Mail Rbengrguy@aol.com
1409 Rachel Lane
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

(REFERENCE: Cited to show the degree of my involvement in the Engineering Profession)
SEAOI - Public Relations Chair SEAOI
Public Advocacy Committee NCSEA m.ASCE
Past Chair EWEEk- Chicago m.ASCE Past member of Committee on Public Involvement
American Engineering Association
American Engineering Alliance
Tau Beta Pi Association
International Technology Institute
Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings
American Concrete Insititute - fellow
Past Chairman Engineers Week - Chicago

"HUSH- You Must Not Speak it!"

Next, I offer the following: In past years we have been hearing the cries of the Hi-Tech industry as to worker shortages. Leaders in the Hi-TECH industry continue to claim worker shortages even as thousands upon thousands of Hi-Tech workers are being fired. We continue to import thousands of skilled foreign laborers to fill these "so-called" open positions in the Hi-Tech industry see: H-1B Hall of Shame
http://www.zazona.com/LCA-Data/

Even though the dot.com industry crashed in 2001-02 there are others still proclaiming improvements on the horizon

Nationwide Boom in tech hiring predicted this year
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/News/local/3205615.htm

Study sees IT worker Shortage in 2002
http://news.com.com/2102-1017-899730.html

These are the same people that that stated workers shortages just before the high-tech industry crashed. Can we believe these people? Fortunately there are some that are beginning to question the propaganda put forward by leaders in the high-tech industry. Check "THE BIG SECRET" But what is the "REAL" story? Is this an effort to control costs by the importation of cheaper labor? Is there really a worker shortage in the High-tech industry?

See following:

  • Debunking the myth of a desparate shortage of software labor
    http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/itaa.real.html
  • Why H-1b Visas are bad for America
    http://www.frontpagemag.com/archives/guest_column/locke/locke01-24-01.htm
  • High-Tech Cheap Labor
    http://www.adversity.net/FRAMES/Editorials/25_High_Tech_Cheap_Labor.htm
  • Another study on the need for technology workers can be found at:
    http://www.uefoundation.org/report4.html
  • How and Why Government, Universities, and Industry Create Domestic Labor
    Shortages of Scientists and High-Tech Workers
    http://www.nber.org/~peat/PapersFolder/Papers/SG/NSF.htm
  • MAKING ENGINEERS LOW-PRICED COMMODITIES
    http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~unger/IEEE-USA/jobsThreats.html
  • The Decline and fall of Engineering Salaries
    http://dwp.bigplanet.com/engineers/articles2/
  • Piled Higher and Deeper: Alleged Shortage of Highly Educated Workers is a
    Myth
    http://web.archive.org
    /web/20000609200743/http://www.hudson.org/
    American_Outlook/articles_fa99/rubenstein.htm
  • Are Tech Workers in Short Supply?
    http://news.cnet.com/News/0-1007-200-2880309.html
  • Skilled-worker shortage is myth
    http://www.usatoday.com/News/comment/ncguest4.htm
  • IT LABOR SHORTAGE: A Myth??
    http://www.usatoday.com/News/comment/ncguest4.htm
  • ENGINEERS and EMPLOYMENT in the Global Economy
    http://www2.siliconv.com/siliconv/archive/holleman1.html
    http://24.7.86.152/group/seaint/1995/msg00071.html
  • How large is the shortage of Programmers in the U. S. ??
    http://www.programmersguild.org/Guild/programmershortagefaq.htm
  • A Bad Idea gets Worse
    http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/1094647p-1159082c.html
  • How to create a shortage in the Skilled-Labor market
    http://www.popstop.org/pages/h1b/nyt_090600.html
  • The Valley Horror Show: The Incredible Shrinking Engineer
    http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,35726,FF.html
  • The Scams and problems of H-1B Visas
    http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/h1B.html

And at whose expense?

I urge to look at the following websites for information of this issue and its impact to African-Americans.

  • http://www.fairus.org/html/09111003.htm
  • http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=211
  • http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=326
  • www.politicallyblack.com/release_a30800.htm
  • http://www.colosseumbuilders.com/Guild/h1b/library/race/index.htm
  • http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/05/19/BU2630.DTL
  • http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/10/19/BU91243.DTL
  • High-Tech Firms Fail to Hire African-Americans
    http://www.ersityinc.com/insidearticlepg.cfm?SubMenuID=330&ArticleID=3051
  • African-Americans are being Left Behind
    http://www.nationalcenter.org/NVNeddHiTech599.html
  • Alliance Fights Boost in Visas to High Tech Workers
    http://www.isn.org/News/20000808135651.html
  • Why Indian H-1B's are Not Superior and and Aframericans are not cry-babies
    http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Library/Archives/TonyBrown.htm

Groups like the National Action Council of Minorities in Engineering (www.nacme.org) have been actively trying to promote engineering - technology careers to minorities who historically have been severely underrepresented in the professions. But Why? If they can't get jobs in the Hi-Tech industry?

In that regards I wonder why African-Americans are not being hired for Hi-Tech industry positions?? Is discrimination taking place amongst African-Americans technology workers?? I'd be curious to learn how many African-Americans are employed at the major HI-TECH Corporations (I'll let you figure out which ones) in comparison the H-1B visas holders. It would be a sad to learn that foreigners are given preferential treatment over AMERICAN minorities. Isn't there a lawsuit pending against MICROSOFT in this issue?

See following:

  • http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cti966.htm
  • http://www.sptimes.com/News/102900/Business/He_says_bias_forced_h.shtml
  • http://www.washtech.com/News/atwork/11328-1.html

In recent weeks there have been numerous stories on INTERNET News websites decrying the plight of fired H-1B workers.

http://www.wired.com/News/politics/0,1283,42369,00.html
http://www.docchicago.net/News/news.cfm?X=56
http://www.ecompany.com/articles/mag/0,1640,11808|12050,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49436-2001Jun26.html

As they no longer have work they are required (by law) to return at once to their country of origin. But I simply do not understand all of these gripes. These workers were here at our invitation to fill apparent open technology positions. Now with the down of the technology industry their services are no longer needed. So what is the problem? Where is the outcry for the fired AMERICAN technology workers? I don't see any news coverage for their plight! Why is that? What I would like to know and I suspect there are many cases of this, is with all the massive layoffs, are there cases where H-1B visas holders being retained while AMERICANS are being fired. That would really be a sad state of affairs. I have heard of cases of this in the past so I suspect it is going on as I write this letter.

I continue with the following: Since when should foreigners be given preferential treatment over AMERICAN workers. I have just learned of the following: A company in Texas (maybe you know of this story ??) is actively recruiting for foreign worker OVER AMERICANS! Please check the following for the story:

  • http://wired.com/News/business/0,1367,44015,00.html
  • http://www.timesofindia.com/today/28busi7.htm
  • http://news.excite.ca/News/bw/010503/tx-adea-group
  • http://www.timesofindia.com/today/28busi7.htm
  • Immigrating Workers take U.S. Jobs
    http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/News/opinion/2628511.htm
  • Amid Layoffs U.S. Firms Still Hire From Abroad
    http://www.coxnews.com/washingtonbureau/staff/malone/121010JOBS-IMMIGRATION10.html
  • QWEST Overseas Hires Irks Workers - Sometimes Cheaper to Go Abroad
    http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_1140486,00.html
  • Visa Plan lets State Hire Foreign Workers
    http://www.cleveland.com/
    News/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/News/102301032686020.xml
  • Sun Accused of Worker Discrimination
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/06/25/BU244728.DTL
  • Hiring of Foreign Workers Frustrates Native Job-Seekers
    www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7445-2002Feb26.html

Other horror stories about the abuse of the H-1B visas program abound.Examples can be found at the following website:

  • http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Horror.htm
  • http://www.buchanan.org/db00-0131.html
  • http://home.techies.com/Common/Content/2001/06/11mc_h1bsurvey.html
  • http://www.colosseumbuilders.com/Guild/h1b/library/Abuse
  • http://sanjose.bcentral.com/sanjose/stories/1999/08/02/story1.html
  • http://www.techlawjournal.com/employ/19990506.htm
  • http://206.20.14.67/achal/archive/Oct98/tech.htm
  • H-1b Visa Scam http://www.firstandsecond.com/bw/mag6_page1.html
  • Amazing be TRUE FACTS: http://www.hireamericancitizens.org/amazing.html
  • A Permit For Exploitation
    http://www.sptimes.com/2002/04/29/Business/Permit_for_exploitati.shtml

Why has the media been silent on the above issues? Why is the CONGRESS not addressing them as well? (with the exception of Congressman Tancredo- Colorado)

  • http://www.chicagotribune.com/Technology/chi-011121h1bvisa.story?coll=chi-technology-hed
  • http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2001/12/17/newscolumn1.html
  • http://www.optimizemag.com/issue/004/squareoff_no.htm
  • http://www.house.gov/tancredo/PressRelease/tancredo_proposal_strengthens_do.htm
  • Do We Still Need As Many H-1B Visas?: No
    http://www.frontpagemag.com/guestcolumnists2002/tancredo0617-02.htm

Most importantly what is the impact of having foreigners working in critical HI-Tech industries. Should we be concerned over espionage in our Hi-Tech industries ? Weren't several Chinese immigrants recently arrested for stealing Lucent software? Check the following related stories:

  • http://www.latimes.com/business/updates/lat_lucent010504.htm
  • http://test.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/0503lucent-tradesecrets-ON.html
  • http://public.wsj.com/sn/y/SB988906781352120057.html
  • http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/newslog/news05-10-01.html
  • U.S. to Curb Computer Access by Foreigners
    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-030702ban.story
  • Defense: Extend Bad on Non-U. S. Workers
    http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-854660.html
  • Defense May limit Foreign labor
    http://news.com.com/2100-1023-854565.html

As more and more of our defense systems are controlled and operated by sophisticated computer software shouldn't we concerned that foreigners might have access - knowledge of the operations of those systems? Could these foreign workers sabatoge these systems? What is the danger of having foreigners in critical defense industries? see:

  • http://www.washingtontechnology.com/News/16_11/federal/17046-1.html
  • Only the Navy to Limit Forign Workers
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/08/BU211564.DTL
  • HP accuses worker of SABOTAGE:
    http://www.zdnet.com/filters/printerfriendly/0,6061,5099406-2,00.html
    http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/systems/0,39001153,39000667,00.htm
  • CIA scours Grad Schools for Spies
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20011019/aponline152744_000.htm
  • Billionaire Predicts Nuclear Attack
    http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=675&u_sid=385488
  • Suspect Claim Al Qaeda Hacked MICROSOFT - Expert
    http://www.newsbytes.com/News/01/173039.html
  • How vulnerable is the U.S. IT infrastructure ??
    http://www.nwfusion.com/News/2001/0926vuln.html

An now that the dot.com industry has crashed isn't the need for High-Tech workers moot? Thousands upon thousand of high-tech workers have lost there jobs as we continue in a recession. But why do we continue to bring in evem more foreign works all the while American are still out of work?

Washington We Have a Problem Unemployment Up, but we continue to bring in more H-1B's -- http://www.sierratimes.com/02/05/07/edra050702.htm
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, who tracks college job trends, the hiring of college graduates is down 36% this year. With almost 10 million job seekers on the street, will employers still claim a worker shortage and continue to import new foreign H-1B workers at historic levels?

For more of my writings be sure to check the following:

  • http://www.technotimes.org/Chicago/index.htm
  • http://www.todaysengineer.org/careerfocus/july01te/july01depts/readerpoll.html
  • http://www.todaysengineer.org/careerfocus/Aug01te/aug01depts/readerpoll.html
  • http://www.iit.edu/publications/catalyst/spring99/cover.html
  • http://www.seaoi.org/html/body_herald.html

Sincerely,

Robert B. Johnson
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089