Subject: Re: H1-B Visas
H1-Bs are a dodge today. Their original purpose to bring in people we needed that could not otherwise be found domestically was fine. But now it's a way of getting a cheap educated workforce.

Which we have done to ourselves, somewhat. At my company, American NCGs were demanding upwards of $100K to start. That's just silly, in most cases. After 28 years I still didn't earn that much. The NCGs with no experience, that I would have to train, wanted more to do the same job not as well as I could. So, of course, corporations want to hire cheaper.

But there is no shortage of American engineers. I was reading articles -maybe 10 years ago?- that we had a glut of engineers, but they couldn't find jobs. I suspect that was mostly because of H1-B holders taking them.

I wonder if the American-trained engineers are as qualified as the foreign-trained specimens?

Now, I like the American high-school and university system. My kids are getting a broad, well-rounded education. I didn't. In my last two years of UK high school, I studied Math, Physics and Chemistry. 25 hours of class and same again in homework. Nothing else. At Polytechnic I did Electrical Engineering. No languages, no English class, no pottery, painting, ice skating or wine-tasting. Math and engineering only. I've sometimes been amazed at the lack of knowledge of Electrical Engineers with master's degrees from prestigious US universities. Different expectations.

I came to the US on an H1B...I might be biased :-)