GAO to study impact of H-1B program on hiring

Patrick Thibodeau   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Careers Stories  

Learn-Fast Guide: It's All About You Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

September 11, 2002 (Computerworld) -- WASHINGTON -- There's no shortage of anecdotal reports from U.S. workers that the H-1B visa program is costing Americans jobs. But proving it has been elusive because companies don't disclose whom they hire or lay off.
That's a problem facing the U.S. General Accounting Office as it embarks on a study to answer a question posed by two Democrats on the U.S. House Science Committee: Do companies show a preference for retaining H-1B workers, and if so, why?
The GAO study, due out sometime next year, is expected to arrive during a congressional debate on whether the cap on the controversial program should be allowed to shrink from 195,000, its level for the past two fiscal years, to 65,000 after the next fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, 2003.
The H-1B program is a contentious issue in the technology community. Critics charge that in many cases, foreign workers are hired because of their willingness to work for lower wages and fewer benefits. Industry groups counter that the U.S. doesn't supply enough workers with technical skills to meet demand. H-1B employees, hired for certain technical skills, can work in the U.S. for six years through the visa program, and possibly longer under some exceptions.
The value of the upcoming report will rest on the strength of its data. But GAO officials haven't determined how to research the H-1B program's impact, and agency officials are now planning to meet with House Science Committee staff members to discuss a research methodology, according to agency and congressional staff members.
The plan is already drawing criticism from one H-1B advocate. Harris Miller, who heads the Information Technology Association of America in Arlington, Va., said he believes that the latest H-1B usage data is proof enough that the program isn't being abused.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service recently reported that it granted 60,500 H-1B visas in the nine-month period that ended June 30, representing a 54% drop from the same period last year.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said Miller. The downturn shows that H-1B's critics are wrong about the visa program serving as a supply of cheap labor, he said.
"If they [the H-1B opponents] were right, which they are not, there would just be as many H-1Bs today as a year ago," said Miller. Given the pressure on companies to cut payroll, he said, wouldn't they use "more H-1Bs rather than less H-1Bs during an economic downturn?"
But George McClure, who heads the career policy committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.-USA, points to rising unemployment numbers for computer and electronics engineers, along with reports from IEEE members who say they have lost jobs to H-1B workers.
"We've got lots of unemployed members ... who can do the jobs that they are bringing in H-1Bs for," said McClure. He said he has heard from engineers who were instructed to train H-1B visa holders and were then laid off.
But McClure said he doesn't know how the GAO can accurately assess the situation, other than to talk to affected workers and hear their stories.
"If the concern is with unemployment, then they ought to be talking to some of the people who are unemployed," said McClure.
U.S. Reps. James Barcia and Lynn Rivers, both Michigan Democrats and House Science Committee members, requested the GAO study a year ago. The GAO divided their request into two parts, starting with a study on the effectiveness of a training program that has been funded through H-1B fees. That report is due in a matter of weeks.
The H-1B training program, which has collected $138 million fees paid by employers who sponsor H-1B visa holders, has been called "ineffective" by the Bush administration because it isn't providing training that would lessen demand for H-1B workers.
These visa holders typically have bachelor's and, in many cases, advanced degrees. But a lot of the training programs are being used to prepare workers for low-tech jobs such as installing cable, the administration said.
The Bush administration's position was determined before anyone had evaluated the training program, said one congressional staff member familiar with the GAO study. That study may yet find some value in the program, he said.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

"Employees at Computerworld's Best Places to Work in IT have managed to tame the IT career beast by rejecting the..." Read more... "Today's US college business professors, hopefully, aren't all like the one who is teaching a Florida university's business major. Maybe..." Read more... Read more Careers posts or See all Blogs

Lithuania: Attacks focused on hosting company Google bows to pressure, adds 'Privacy' link to home page Microsoft promises four patches next week More top stories...

Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner Expect iPhone, Fourth of July scams, security firm says Microsoft trumpets security additions in upcoming IE8

This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop. Here's how. Bill Gates moves on Is Microsoft's Golden Age over? What are Gates' most memorable quotes? Find out in Computerworld's complete coverage of the end of the Bill Gates era at Microsoft. Five things you should never tell your boss There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear. Also don't miss the flipside, Five things you should always tell your boss. Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what's broke and keeps what's right With its latest version, Mozilla's browser continues to raise the bar for what Web browsers should be. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone See your link here

Learn-Fast Guide: It's All About You (Source: Computerworld) Is your career in sync with the current megatrends: business alignment, globalization, the consumerization of IT, web 2.0 and beyond? In this guide, you'll get advice about how to make yourself more valuable, how to make the global talent pool work for you and how to make sure you "get found" when you put yourself out there. Download this executive briefing  Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Download this webcast, free, compliments of Sterling Commerce Go to the webcast  Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility Download this white paper, free, compliments of Novell! (Source: Novell) The structure of your workgroup environment plays a vital role in enabling your knowledge workers to be productive and collaborate securely. And IT choice and flexibility can mean the difference between reactive spending and proactive investment. Boost your competitive advantage with a workgroup infrastructure that lets you deliver the tools and services that are right for you. Download this white paper to learn how Novell offers a variety of solutions that give you the flexibility to address critical business initiatives and workforce productivity. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Deploying Virtualized NetWare on Linux Whitepaper Toward More Flexible, Next-Generation Collaboration Solutions Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility View more whitepapers

• Lithuania: Attacks focused on hosting company
• Google bows to pressure, adds 'Privacy' link to home page
• Microsoft promises four patches next week
• More top stories 

Securing your Online Data Transfer with SSL A guide to understanding SSL certificates, how they operate and their application. By making use of an SSL certificate on your web server, you can securely collect sensitive information online, and increase business by giving your customers confidence that their transactions are safe. Download this white paper now

Computerworld's Salary Survey Are you earning a fair wage? Take our survey now and enter a drawing to win one of 10 Sony 8" portable DVD players! Take the Salary Survey.