I would like to see H1-B visas awarded to individuals rather than the company/position. It really distorts the job market to have people tied to a particular position at a particular company. If H1-B visa holders could look for other employment after say 6 months then the market could set the fair wage implicitly rather than trying to get the government to do explicitly which they are pretty poor at doing in my experience.
The American immigration system has a lot of issues with it but I think this could be a relatively easy fix. I've worked with a lot of H1-B employees and in general I think the United States is really lucky to have such talented people willing to relocate and live in the US.
This would absolutely solve the problem of H1B and wage distortion. The individuals would be able to move from company to company and negotiate their rate - finally companies could hire as many H1Bs as they qualify. OH WAIT they don't want that at all, they just want cheap labor.
Would the applicant then cover his own relocation expenses? Landlords usually want to see a paycheck stub or a letter of intent stating that a paycheck is coming.
Also, existence of an offer from a legitimate company determines candidate's eligibility. How would Department of Labor filter eligible candidates from the ones who've just padded their resumes?
For my above hack of the current system an applicant would still be sponsored for an existing position at an existing company. The only difference would be that after some period of time, say 6-12 months the applicant could take the visa and use it for employment at other companies. If employers are paying competitive wages it shouldn't be any problem to retain H1-B visa workers like regular workers.
My feeling is that the current system of tying applicants to positions is supposed to protect US workers but actually distorts the market and incentivizes companies hire H1-B visa holders as they can't leave easily but can still be fired anytime.
> The only difference would be that after some period of time, say 6-12 months the applicant could take the visa and use it for employment at other companies.
Legally one could start the interviewing process the day after they arrive in the US on H1. Contractually they might have signed agreements to compensate their employer for relocation and legal costs if they work for less than a year.
In principle you can change jobs but it is really just new H-1B petition which is expensive and time consuming for new employer. To quote from the site you link:
The American immigration system has a lot of issues with it but I think this could be a relatively easy fix. I've worked with a lot of H1-B employees and in general I think the United States is really lucky to have such talented people willing to relocate and live in the US.