Google makes stand on H-1B visas
June 6th, 2007 by Benjamin KuoGoogle just posted an interesting article to the company’s blog on the company’s stance on H-1B visas, the visa that allows highly skilled, foreign born workers to enter the U.S. The company argues for an increase in the currently 65,000 H-1B slots (which were filled in the first two days they were open this year), due to difficulty in getting highly qualified candidates.
There’s an ongoing, and often contentious debate about H-1B visas, which some contend takes away highly paid jobs from U.S. born workers, and which some also say that IT outsourcing companies abuse to bring in people willing to work for less (against H-1B rules). However, what’s often ignored is that highly skilled, technical workers who eventually stay here in the U.S. and become citizens are behind much of the technology and startup activity here. In my personal experience, most H-1B workers are not here as cheap replacements for citizens, they’re here because it’s very difficult to find qualified workers for technical positions, and because they want to become part of the great opportunities here in the U.S.
As much as technical professionals face concerns over outsourcing of jobs overseas, it seems like shutting out the best and brightest from working here in the U.S. isn’t the best policy. To continue the lead the U.S. has had so far in innovation and technology, it’s important to attract highly skilled workers here instead of shipping that work overseas.
