A Change in Direction: H-1B Visas

The WSJ has an interesting report on H-1B visas, they seem to little used now as compared to say three years ago. There is a principle inherent in human transactions which simply stated is: if there are obstacles then humans will find highly adaptive means and methods to work around those obstacles to achieve their goals. Simply stated in the H-1B case the goals was becoming prosperous, NOT living in the US, and as the US became more difficult and the ability to become prosperous became equally viable say back in India or China, well, so be it, get the free education here and then go back and create the value there. The law of unintended consequences.

Namely the US is now funding via its taxes the graduate education of many foreign nationals, why, because US students go to business or law, never a guarantee of success, but not engineering, why because the see less opportunity. This is a canary in the coal mine moment! Is Washington or the Universities listening, no, frankly they are in collusion just to build up schools, the result, we are funding our own demise.

As the WSJ states:

"It's baffling that H-1Bs aren't picking up if the economy is stronger," said Steve Miller, a Seattle attorney who prepares petitions for employers in high tech, retail and other sectors.

For years, the H-1B program was a mainstay for software companies, architecture firms and other businesses that seek foreign nationals to fill certain jobs. Demand for the visas by companies outstripped supply, and companies such as Microsoft Corp. lobbied the U.S. government to raise the cap on the number of visas.

 No, it is not baffling, it is obvious. You can achieve your goal now in India and China and you can do so off the taxpayers of the US! As the WSJ states:

Nutan Kunduri, a software engineer who stayed in the U.S. on an H-1B visa after completing her studies, said she decided to accept a job offer in India less than a year into working in Silicon Valley.

"Ten years back, I had this 'nothing will change in our country' attitude," she said. A recent visit to India made her realize that "for an IT professional like me, India is the place to be, with its booming tech industry."

Abhinav Tripati, a software engineer with a U.S. company in Boston, also plans to return to India, where salaries are slightly lower but the cost of living is significantly cheaper. "I see my friends back home enjoying most of the comforts of Western life," he said, with the added bonus of being close to friends and aging parents. "We can't often bring our parents to the U.S., as it's getting difficult to obtain visas for them," he said.

 Yes, India is booming as is China. They look at the US and its economy and they become terrified. Why stay here? Get educated here and then go back. This is a major policy issue which we shall see hit our economy in another ten years.