An Illinois Engineer Says Presidential Candidates Don't Care About H-1B Visa Fraud Or Legal Abuse

October 19, 2008

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10/18/08 - Saturday Forum: A Texas Reader Says She'll Trade The Economic Downturn For Alien Deportation; etc.

From: Bob Johnson (e-mail him)

Re: Dr. Norm Matloff's Blog: H-1B Fraud Still Dwarfed By Legal Abuse

Based on the positions of Barack Obama and John McCain, it looks like there will be plenty of chances for more legal abuse and fraud in the H-1B visa program.

Here's how the tech blog The Wired.com sees the candidates:

McCain's Position: 

"Though his immigration policies shifted during the Republican primary, he has been a long proponent of allowing in more high-skilled technology workers. Here's his plan: 'John McCain will expand the number of H-1B visas to allow our companies to keep top-notch talent –- often trained in our graduate schools -– in the United States. The Department of Labor should be allowed to set visa levels appropriate for market conditions. Hiring skilled foreign workers to fill critical shortages benefits not only innovative companies, but also our economy. For every foreign worker hired, corporations generally hire five to ten additional American workers.'"

Obama's Position:

"Obama supports a temporary increase in skilled immigrants allowed here under H1B visas. But he doesn't mention the issue in his technology plan. And, in interviews, he has hemmed and hawed about highly skilled immigrants taking jobs from Americans.

" In an interview with Michael Arrington, he said, that the country can 'go a long way toward meeting industry's need for skilled workers with Americans. Until we have achieved that, I will support a temporary increase in the H-1B visa program as a stopgap measure until we can reform our immigration system comprehensively.'"

From his statement, it appears that Obama has a clue…. but with the very significant hedge that his position is contingent on reforming "our immigration system comprehensively"—a.k.a. amnesty.

Johnson contributes articles to a professional Internet newsletter. His previous letters to VDARE.COM about Joe Biden and the H-1B visa and football coaches with H-1B visas are here and here.