US Presidential Candidates – H-1B Visa Stance

The debates on immigration catch fire as soon as we get closer to an election. And the most specific topic is about H1B skilled worker visas for which India contributes the most. Let’s take a look at some of the leading candidates of US presidential elections and their stance about H-1B visa. Don’t get surprised, however.

Donald Trump

He is holding the first position in the polls. If the Republican nomination was set to happen today, he would steal the show. And this is the reason why his say on tech related immigration matters.

Trump positively loathes H1B visa and he thinks that STEM shortage is a malevolent myth. He says that 2/3rd of the entry level IT hiring is done with the help of H1B program.

Although H1B visa is a hot issue in elections, Trump campaign said that more than half of H1B visas are issued for lowest wage level. As a result, he proposes to give a hike in the minimum wage applicable for foreign H1B hires and so companies must offer entry level jobs to the domestic unemployed nationals and immigrant workers in the US rather than flying in cheap labour from overseas.

Moreover, he said that if I would be the President, I will not issue any H1B visa to such a company that fires American workers to hire Indian workers at low wages. It happened in Florida that some company hired Indian workers to replace 400 American techies and one month training was given to them by the fired employees on the notice that they will lose their payments otherwise.

How serious is he on this issue cannot be told at the moment. Let’s hope for the best to happen.

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Hillary Clinton

A democratic nominee for president, Hilary Clinton doesn’t have too much to talk about H1B visas. All what she talked was quite neutral, at least if compared with other opponents. In a speech given in 2007, she was very much interested in raising the H1B numbers.

She said that foreign workers are the huge contributors in making us innovators. And she showed good interest in inaugurating TCS, India offices in Buffalo, in 2007.

In 2003, she was the key architect of this plan of bringing business to New York by suggesting the inauguration of TCS. When the US economy got out of control in 2009, outsourcing did a huge help, said Clinton.

Every country is worried for their people and wants to generate enough jobs for them, in global recession, she said in a statement while on a visit to India. So, how we are going to work with India has to be figured out.

Bernie Sanders

He doesn’t support the disguise of immigrant reform. A process where companies are more interested in hiring cheap labour at lower wages which consequently leads to unemployment is not acceptable, he said in an interview.

In the US, more than 9 million people are graduated in science, mathematics, technology and engineering fields then why only 3 million have jobs, he added.

What the main problem is these companies hire cheap workers at the cost of American workers. Sanders said, “Revise the H1B program and raise the wages considerably”. How can these companies say that they need more workers from abroad when the wages have seen only 4.5% of hike between 2010 and 2011?

Wages are sluggish for highly skilled workers so why not raise the wages in order to attract such workers to work for your company, Sanders added in the Washington post interview.

Also read: H-1B Visa 2017 – Cap, Lottery Predictions, Fees, News

Ted Cruz

In November of 2015, Ted suggested suspending H1B visa program for 180 days so as to let the government investigate the abuse. In an earlier proposal, he said to increase the H1B allotment by 500% that means 325,000 visas annually. Both the suggestions show a wholly different Cruz.

I think we are a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants here, he added. All the high skilled workers visas should be combined into just one, Cruz said.

So guys, you must have seen that every candidate has different views on H1B program. Let’s wait for the elections to held and see what happens next.

Fingers crossed!!

3 Comments on "US Presidential Candidates – H-1B Visa Stance"

  1. Ted Cruz has insane new bill for H1B. Only phds or people with 10yrs work experience are eligible for h1b. Thats ridiculous.

  2. no politician help us untile you become a citizen.. all the rules only for citizen.. 

  3. I think you forgot the most ridiculous bill, as presented by Mr. Cruz. His bill, sets a minimum wage of $110,000 for H-1B workers. This base salary will adjust annually for inflation.

     

    http://www.cruz.senate.gov/files/documents/Bills/20151210_AmericanJobsFirstAct.pdf

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