H1B or RG30M Visas?
Kirt's Cogitations™ #204

RF Cafe University"Factoids," "Kirt's Cogitations," and "Tech Topics Smorgasbord" are all manifestations of my ranting on various subjects relevant (usually) to the overall RF Cafe theme. All may be accessed on these pages:

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H1B or RG30M Visas?

It seems we cannot stop talking about the H1B visa issuances, immigration, offshoring, etc., and the harm or good done to the American economy - particularly to American engineers. Rightly so, I suppose, because the legitimacy and fairness of the instituted laws are crucial to the continued competitiveness of this country. For that matter, every country faces the same dilemma when considering laws governing immigration and guest workers. I write this from a nationalistic perspective as an American, but you can apply the view to your own country.

My position, while admittedly not rigorously researched, is based on quite a bit of reading of opinions on all sides of the issue (there are more than just two sides to it). It is based on the FACT that the world has transformed into a global economy – like it or not – and that in order to retain our position as the world leader in technology, medicine, software, etc., we must look at our talent pool as a national resource the same way that any company looks at its employees. We must attract and retain the best and the brightest that the world has to offer. Given that America, for all its supposed faults, is still the Numbero Uno (a little Spanish lingo there) destination for people seeking opportunities in a new country, the task should not be difficult.

I believe that first and foremost, we must reform our own educational system to encourage – even demand – a significantly higher competency level in mathematics and science. That is not to say the liberal arts are not important, but let us be honest, pursuits in that domain are the path of least resistance for most people. Now, I fully appreciate the talent required to be a great musical composer or a historian with encyclopedic memory, or even an artist, but many of the people who gravitate there do so for lack of ambition. It is no stretch to say that a large percentage of technical types are also highly competent at one or more of the liberal arts, but the reverse is not also true. Sorry if the truth hurts.

Simultaneously, we need to reform the immigration laws to provide expedited citizenship to applicants who are accomplished professionals (no lawyers need apply) and can prove an intense desire to become productive members of and loyalty to our American society. That does not mean for people to come here and try to transform America into the country they have chosen to leave behind. I assert that adding such loyal individuals and their families to the ranks of our citizenry will ultimately create more job opportunities for born Americans than it would take away. If we dominate the world's technical resources, then the jobs are ours to fill. Again, apply these concepts from your own country's perspective if you are not an American.

To discourage exploitation of both current citizens and potential citizens, any attempts to underpay either side should be staunchly monitored and opposed. Many employers today, reportedly, under the current indentured servant structure grossly abuse the people they employ because they are able to get away with it. Professional groups like the IEEE can be used to lobby for such protections.

In my daily work, I know many people that are highly talented who would be excellent additions to America's citizen workforce. Not all of them (if any) are desirous of becoming citizens, but, provided they pass the aforementioned good citizen test, I would welcome them with open arms. These folks are hard workers and would add significant value to America's national resources. You probably know of equally desirable potential citizens.

If you resent all this talk of allowing foreigners into the country to take jobs from Americans, then I am genuinely interested in hearing your proposed solution for maintaining our competitive edge. The way we are proceeding, the situation will get progressively worse.

Just for the record, I vehemently oppose the Open Borders groups. Generally, the people entering the country illegally, as a group, take more from society than they contribute. I do not buy into the notion that they fill jobs that no Americans will take - if we can find ways to overcome so many other obstacles, we can find a way to function prosperously without those lawbreakers. Besides that, my citizenship plan calls for permitting only people who possess a verifiable willingness to abide by the laws of this country, and the Illegals are, by definition, violating our laws from the moment they enter the country. That's not an indicator of desirable future behavior.

RG30M Visa? That would be the Rio Grande visa plan, whereby 30 Million Illegals have gained entry into the U.S., evidently with our corrupt government's blessing.