Question: From the readings, what is the controversy surrounding the H-1B Visa program? What are the arguments for and against the expansion of the program? After examining the topic, where do you stand on the issues surrounding the program?
The H-1B Visa program allows people from other countries to come to America for work purposes, and has been a highly coveted asset in the tech industry for some time. However, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the implications of allowing so many foreigners into America for work. On the one had, it is argued that H-1B visas allow tech companies to recruit the best talent from anywhere in the World. Getting this talent means tech companies can make better products, and cut costs, all of which benefits the American consumer. Additionally, there is a moral component to this issue. By allowing workers to come from all countries, America lives up to its reputation as being the land of opportunity. Many of these workers lived difficult lives in their home country, so if they really apply themselves to better their future, shouldn’t America be willing to let them in?
On the other side of this issue are concerns that by granting 85,000 H-1B visas every year, the US government is harming the American worker. Tech companies hiring from overseas typically pay those workers lower wages than they would if they had hired an American. This can cause a restriction of labor cost growth, which would mean companies retain more profits at the expense of their workers. Also, every time a H-1B visa worker is hired by a company, they are filling a role that could have otherwise been filled by an American worker. This can be very troubling for those concerned with unemployment rates, as the lower wage cost essentially gives companies an incentive to hire non-Americans to do work.
I personally support the idea of having workers come into the United States to help us grow our tech industry. I also think it is very important morally to be able to take people out of bad situations in other countries and allow them to come to America. In response to concerns about job loss I read an interesting point in one of the articles that just because a company hires a foreigner, that does not necessarily mean that the company would’ve hired an American instead, if that worker had not been able to get a visa. If companies couldn’t hire visa workers, there is a possibility they could outsource the position or find a way to automate it rather than pay higher wages to an American. In this way, allowing foreign workers can be seen as a way to discourage these practices by allowing companies to hire workers in America. Additionally, these workers still pay taxes and are contributing to the American economy, so there are still positives for America to hire these workers. As far as the notion of prioritizing Americans, I personally think that is a bad way to look at things. For one, America is a nation of immigrants. Denying workers the right to come here would be a betrayal of one of our most admirable values. Also, if we prioritized Americans we would be limiting our accessibility to the best possible talent, which would hurt innovation and potentially contribute to an economic downturn.