Optional Practice Training

An additional 20,000 are issued to individuals with at least a master degree from an American University. There are individuals who are do not counted in the overall count and these are individuals who work in certain institution such as Universities and government research agencies. The argument that many Americans make when it comes to individuals who work visa is that they take jobs from American workers. More often H-1B visa holders take jobs that American are reluctant to take. H-1B holders often take jobs in remote areas where a need for specialist occupation is needed such as doctors. American are resultant to relocate to these areas, so foreigners often fill in to these types of situations. According to Taylor Mark companies are not allowed to pay visa holder less money than to their American counterparts holding the same job. But ever rule companies often find loopholes to save money for their companies. One gap that companies especially in the engineering sector is to hire visa holder through a third party service, paying them less than their American counterparts. This does happen but more often than not. Individuals who hold H-1B visa are contributing to our economy and filling in jobs where a need a high for the type of skills they hold (Kephart, Janice).

The costs and benefits current, native workers see when the number of H-1B visas distributed are increased, is depended on several factors. One factor is the age of the current, native worker. In a study conducted by Sari Pekkala Kerr, stated that there is a substitutionary effect, that occurs with young skilled immigrants workers, versus older, current native workers (4). This is a cost to older, current native workers, but a benefit for younger, current, native workers. Younger, current, native workers are more complementary to young, skilled immigrants. Another factor is the skill set held, by the current, native worker. By having more skilled workers, generally speaking, regardless of citizen or immigration, will increase the productivity and innovation in the firm. This is a benefit for specialized, current, native workers.

As a result, foreign-born workers comprise 16% of the workforce. Moreover, immigrants account for nearly half of the United States’ labor force growth since the mid-1990s. With their aid in growing the workforce, the specialization for certain jobs also grows, raising productivity and increasing economic efficiency (Zavodny).

Abstract: Until the bill passed, much of the debate surrounding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM Act, brought about legal, ethical, and logistical concerns. Illegal immigration and the population unauthorized alien in the United States were key issues in the ongoing debate on immigration reform. However, the benefits of this bill outweighed its disadvantages. Immigration policies in the United States concerning undocumented workers are strict and direct. Employers are not allowed to employ illegal or undocumented immigrants. The DREAM Act which was enacted by the Obama administration’s announcement of deferred action for deportation of undocumented youths provides alternates. Under the provision of this law, a person is eligible for citizenship if they came to the United states at age 15 or younger, are currently 35 or younger, have been resent in the country for at least five years, completed high school, and completed at least two years of higher education or honorably served in the armed forces for at least two years (Guzman & Jara, 2012). The advantages of Dream Act as well as its disadvantages on the US economy would be analyzed. Future analysis and other immigrant working situations would also be evaluated.

The discourse on skilled immigration revolves around the controversial H-1B worker visas, the largest visa program for temporary, skilled immigration to the United States, and the level of the annual cap of such visas. Proponents pushing to raise the annual visa cap, argue that there exists a shortage of domestic labor supply in certain industries. Moreover, these workers enable firms to compete globally by raising their competitiveness, growth, and innovation. Critics of skilled immigration, however, argue that skilled immigrants are not necessarily skilled, and that the principle use of the H-1B visas is for firms to minimize their labor costs, which has the effect of undercutting native wages, and displacing native workers.

“According to the Small Business Administration, Foreign born are thirty percent more likely to start a business in the United States than native born, and eighteen percent of small business is immigrants.” If one day America would decide to kick these immigrants out than where would the native born working for them go. Sometimes all these people have are their jobs, especially when it’s to provide for their family. The small businesses owned by foreign born employed almost five million people in 2007. According to that these businesses make $776 billion annually. Twenty-five percent of companies backed up by Venture Capital Investors were started by immigrants (e.g. Google, eBay, Yahoo, Sun Microsystems, and Intel). Between the years of 1990-2005, one quarter of companies that went public were either founded or help founded by U.S immigrants. Later on between the years of 2006 and 2012 this amount increase to one third, and every company had at least one foreign born founder. Around eleven percent of foreign born owned a business, unlike Americans who were nine percent according to Small Business

Thus by allowing new entrepreneurs to acquire temporary or permanent status, or extended stays for (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education graduates, and work authorization for their H‐4 dependents may have some implications for the size of the US labor force.

In recent years, there has been a push for reform in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which are known as the basis for innovation and advancement on a global scale. These fields serve as a vital tool in America’s technological leadership, national security, and economic growth, making the federal government and policymakers invested in the success of STEM education and its workforce. This movement gained momentum when three reports concerning STEM were published within a five-month period in 2005. Innovate America, Tapping America’s Potential, and Rising Above the Gathering Storm argue that America needs to improve its STEM policies so it is able to adequately compete in the global economy. These reports stress the issue of the declining competitiveness of America in STEM by using its performance on international assessment rankings and measuring its education attainment as compared to other nations. Other issues presented by these reports focus on the domestic problems of STEM, such as teacher quality and achievement gaps between racial and ethnic groups. The potential shortage in the STEM workforce and the effect of foreign students on both degree production and labor supply are two major areas of concern for analysts that are attempting to measure America’s potential in STEM. Proponents of STEM argue that foreign workers should be brought in on H-1B visas to address America’s proclaimed labor supply

Meanwhile, entrepreneurship is booming in countries that compete with us. And more than half a million doctors, scientists, researchers, and engineers in the U.S. are stuck in immigration limbo. They are on temporary work visas and are waiting for permanent-resident visas, which are in extremely short supply. These workers can't start companies, justify buying houses, or grow deep roots in their communities. Once they get in line for a visa, they can't even accept a promotion or change jobs. They could be required to leave the U.S. immediately - without notice - if their employer lays them off. Rather than live in constant fear and stagnate in their careers, many are returning home.

"Countries use a variety of policies and practices related to foreign worker programs, including actions to limit illegal immigration and to reduce employment of unauthorized foreign workers" (GAO Reports , 1). The future of young American citizens are at stake, if the low-skilled jobs available now are already occupied by those who have no legal right to work. Jobs are created every day, but it's only corresponding to the number of registered citizens, if people who are not registered in accordance to the law are allowed to work, then there will be negative effects on graduates and other low skilled US citizens who are yet to start or seek for their first job. The illegal immigrants will always win in jobs competition with U.S. citizens, simply because the companies that hire them believe they won't have to pay them higher wages, since the illegal immigrants don’t have much of a choice to work anywhere they please. The population however is increasing rapidly, which is not just reducing the job opportunities, but also leading to conflict, misunderstanding and most likely, wars. Conflicts over resources are becoming a source of tension amongst citizens and non-citizens, which could result in a public riot. Misunderstanding, due to the difference of cultures and traditions could also lead to a skirmish amongst citizens and

Consequently, even the highest performing US graduates will still struggle to compete in the global job market because only a small percentage have necessary skills whereas a majority of Hong Kong students possess similar skills. Since US highest performing schools obtain a low percentage of higher performing students, this means that the percentage, in every other state, will face bigger problems. “The current and future workforce will be competing not only with each other and millions of newly arrived immigrants but also with equally (or better) skilled workers in lower-wage economies around the world” (ETS). Under NAFTA, many owners outsourced their businesses overseas because they rather increase their profit by hiring higher quality

Critics of the STEM movement argue that H1-B visas are a means for companies to obtain workers at

The H-1B visa, originally created to streamline admissions of temporary foreign workers to the United States, has become a topic of much debate between the foes of immigration and the information technology (IT) industry. The debate is focused on whether to increase the visa cap in order to alleviate what the industry describes as a shortage of IT labor. This argument, however, obscures the fundamental flaw of the H-1B program that deserves a more prudent examination. The current H-1B visa program is plagued with inefficiencies that privilege the IT industry at the expense of both visa holders and domestic IT workers alike. The H-1B program needs a complete overhaul, and should include a mechanism to ensure that both employers and employees abide by free market forces. Increasing the current visa cap will only amplify current inefficiencies of the H-1B visa program. Alternatively, allowing visa holders the ability to access a greater range of employment opportunities increases the holder’s incentive to make economic contributions. The industry’s ability to hire globally must be balance by workers’ rights to seek out more competitive opportunities. Current mobility restrictions of the H-1B program are preventing valuable workers from seeking the most valuable opportunities, ultimately leading to a misallocation of foreign labor. H-1B visa reform that includes a role for labor mobility will not only introduce market forces into the bigoted program, but will also help ensure

Another set of focus on how high-skilled foreign students that are currently in the United States helps to shape the economic connections with their home countries is by working with optional practical training (OPT). This program allows nonimmigrants not to pay taxes on their earning depending if their countries is a tax exempt partner to the US . This dialogue is fairly brief. It is also obvious that high-skilled foreign student with advanced undergraduate and graduate degrees to direct their investments to their home countries, because they cannot stay in the US which in a sense weakens the US economy and it is somewhat ambiguous whether this advantage fully set a balance for the impending negative cost to the US for not able to integrate

Many American companies use H-1B visas to bring in small numbers of foreigners for openings demanding specialized skills, according to official reports. But for years, most top recipients of the visas have been outsourcing or consulting firms based in India, or their American subsidiaries, which import workers for large contracts to take over entire in-house technology units — and to cut costs. The immigrants are employees of the outsourcing