H-1B program grew 81 percent from 2011 to 2022

Perceived Quality: U.S. Grads vs H‑1B Workers

• Some hiring managers report that domestic candidates consistently outperform most H‑1B applicants, describing many H‑1B resumes as formulaic, with high levels of fraud and “body shop” churn.
• Others argue the H‑1B pool is a superset that includes many elite grads (e.g., top U.S. and foreign universities), so it’s unsurprising that some are world‑class.
• There’s confusion over what “American CS grads” means: many H‑1B holders earned U.S. degrees and would be counted in both groups.

University Incentives and Foreign Students

• Several comments note that international students often pay higher tuition and effectively subsidize domestic students, especially as public funding has declined.
• Some see the large foreign share of elite university enrollment (~40% in some places) as evidence that citizens are being neglected.
• Others say attracting global talent to U.S. universities has been core to U.S. technological and geopolitical strength.

Wage Suppression, Exploitation, and Ethnic Bias

• Many see H‑1B as de facto indentured servitude: tied to one employer, afraid to quit, easier to overwork, and often used to undercut domestic wages.
• Examples are given of substantial pay gaps between visa and citizen workers in similar roles; others counter with personal data showing H‑1Bs being paid above market and cite prevailing‑wage rules.
• Commenters highlight consulting “mills,” templated resumes, fraudulent interviews, and claims of managers preferring co‑nationals, leading to monoculture teams.
• Debate persists over whether big tech itself is abusing the system or mainly outsourcing firms are.

Impact on Domestic Careers and Labor Markets

• Multiple posters say there was never a real shortage of trainable Americans; companies just avoid training and prefer “plug‑and‑play” hires.
• Concerns: entry‑level roles have dried up, mid‑career hiring dominates, and older engineers (50+) are being pushed out, breaking the junior‑to‑senior pipeline.
• Some report CS/CE grads facing above‑average unemployment recently; others insist tech genuinely had shortages up to ~2021 and that many H‑1Bs are in more specialized or senior roles.

Program Structure, Data, and Backlogs

• Several note the statutory cap on new H‑1Bs (65k + 20k master’s) hasn’t changed; the chart’s growth mostly reflects renewals and long green‑card backlogs (especially for India and China).
• Some call the chart misleading for implying more inflow rather than slower naturalization; others say it fairly shows the growing H‑1B population.
• Commenters point out large numbers of foreign tech workers also arrive via other programs (e.g., OPT), further affecting the market.

Policy Proposals and Reforms

• Suggested reforms include:
  • Rank H‑1B applications by total compensation and require guaranteed multi‑year pay.
  • Allow only occupations with rising wages and employment to use H‑1Bs.
  • Tie caps to sector‑specific unemployment; pause or cut H‑1Bs when tech unemployment is high.
  • Impose high, wage‑indexed application fees and grant immediate green cards with full job mobility.
  • Mandate H‑1B salaries significantly above median to eliminate cost arbitrage.
  • Crack down on “H‑1B mills,” tighten wage definitions, and improve enforcement using tax data.
  • Prioritize U.S. university graduates and possibly add country‑level caps or adjustments.

Broader Political and Ethical Framing

• One camp prioritizes national economic strength and innovation, even if some citizens’ incomes suffer.
• Another insists the nation’s purpose is to advance its citizens’ well‑being; using immigration to hold down wages is seen as corrupt and destabilizing.
• Several note that broader public sympathy for displaced tech workers is low, despite years of “STEM push” rhetoric.