NewsVine_Mariyam
Platinum Member
What is being left out of these conversations is when people are put into these positions and they are unable to do the work, therefore not even meeting the first requirement of being qualified.
In one particular case that I'm aware of, their inability to do the work that their position required had a cascading effect on other workers & departments yet nothing was done about it, and they instead still fast-tracked these individuals to whatever high level position was wanted for them. This behavior of lying, harassment, cheating, dishonesty and theft of intellectual property caused an entire department to quit and/or seek employment elsewhere all because the toxic behavior went unaddressed.
So essentially, at least with this one group, instead of them being qualified for the positions they're put in as required under the H-1B visa rules, they were unable to do the work and were allowed to gain the experience on the job while being paid yet still never achieving the level of competency required by the role.
In one particular case that I'm aware of, their inability to do the work that their position required had a cascading effect on other workers & departments yet nothing was done about it, and they instead still fast-tracked these individuals to whatever high level position was wanted for them. This behavior of lying, harassment, cheating, dishonesty and theft of intellectual property caused an entire department to quit and/or seek employment elsewhere all because the toxic behavior went unaddressed.
So essentially, at least with this one group, instead of them being qualified for the positions they're put in as required under the H-1B visa rules, they were unable to do the work and were allowed to gain the experience on the job while being paid yet still never achieving the level of competency required by the role.
In 2022 and early 2023, several major tech companies in the Puget Sound area, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, conducted significant layoffs while continuing to hire new H-1B visa workers. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that the top 30 H-1B employers hired over 34,000 new H-1B workers in 2022 and laid off at least 85,000 employees during the same period.
EPI
Amazon, for instance, hired 6,400 new H-1B workers in 2022, in addition to nearly 6,200 in 2021. Concurrently, the company announced plans to lay off 27,150 employees, more than twice the number of H-1B workers it hired in 2021 and 2022 combined.
EPI
Similarly, Google and Meta, both leading H-1B employers, together hired over 3,100 new H-1B workers in 2022. During the same period, they laid off approximately 33,000 employees, nearly 11 times the number of new H-1B workers they had hired.
EPI
These actions have sparked criticism, with some arguing that the H-1B program is being exploited to underpay migrant workers and offshore U.S. jobs to countries with lower labor costs. The EPI analysis noted that 13 of the top 30 H-1B employers were outsourcing firms engaging in such practices.
EPI
The situation has also created challenges for H-1B visa holders who were laid off, as they have a 60-day window to find new employment or risk losing their legal status in the U.S. This has led to uncertainty and difficult decisions for many foreign workers and their families.
In response to these developments, there have been calls for reforms to the H-1B program to prevent misuse, protect migrant workers, and ensure it aligns with its original intent of filling genuine labor shortages without negatively impacting U.S. workers' wages and working conditions.
EPI
Recent Developments in Tech Layoffs and Immigration Policies
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