Gates says MS needs more foreigners

[Mule]

Yeah, nobody in the US is smart enough to develop MS level products so it's up to Mujibar.

US high-tech companies are being forced to outsource more jobs overseas because of outdated restrictions on immigration, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Congress Wednesday.

Gates, echoing a longstanding complaint from the technology sector, told a congressional panel that the US immigration system "makes attracting and retaining high-skilled immigrants exceptionally challenging for US firms."

"Congress's failure to pass high-skilled immigration reform has exacerbated an already grave situation," Gates said in remarks prepared for delivery to a hearing of the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee.

"As a result, many US firms, including Microsoft, have been forced to locate staff in countries that welcome skilled foreign workers to do work that could otherwise have been done in the United States, if it were not for our counterproductive immigration policies."

Gates said the limits on so-called H-1B visas aimed at highly skilled professionals are far too low for the rapidly growing tech sector.

He said the current cap of 65,000 H-1B visas "is arbitrarily set and bears no relation to the US economy's demand for skilled professionals."

The Microsoft founder noted that all the 65,000 visas for the current fiscal year were snapped up in one day last April and that employers are now waiting to apply for visas for fiscal 2009, starting in October.

"Last year, for example, Microsoft was unable to obtain H-1B visas for one-third of the highly qualified foreign-born job candidates that we wanted to hire," Gates said.

"If we increase the number of H-1B visas that are available to US companies, employment of US nationals would likely grow as well. For instance, Microsoft has found that for every H-1B hire we make, we add on average four additional employees to support them in various capacities."

Gates also said the United States needs to improve science and math education to train a new generation of tech leaders, reversing a move away from these fields.

"If we don't reverse these trends, our competitive advantage will continue to erode. Our ability to create new high-paying jobs will suffer," Gates said.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I agree with him. We'll let millions of illegals walk across our border, take advantage of our services, not pay any takes, and work illegally for menial wages. But we won't allow college educated professionals to LEGALLY enter our country. WTF?

So, instead of allowing these professionals to enter America, where they would benefit our country, American companies establish offices in other countries and employ them there. So it's American money being invested in a foreign country that doesn't have to be. Sheer stupidity.

This is one area where immigration would not hurt our workers. Our shortage of scientists and engineers will only get worse with time, because the supply coming from American colleges is a mere trickle. There's far more retiring than there are those to take their place. Science and technology is no longer emphasized in school and it's a more challenging degree, not a huge shock that kids are majoring in other things. One thing we all need to remember though, it wasn't business majors that made America the world leader in technology in the 20th century. Today that's a title that's slipping, if not already gone.

[Rick Lee]

Charles Krauthammer had a great column on this issue about a year ago. We are in the unique position of being able to pick the best and the brightest to bring in from abroad. Yet we make it extremely difficult for such people to come here, while ignoring the flood of unskilled, poor and just about permanent underclass laborers from south of the border. We have it exactly backwards.

[The Gaijin]

A lot of MIS workers from India and places downtown NYC. And you just know the Wall Street and Insurance compannies are saving a ton of money in salaries..

At least these folks are a net plus to the economy, when you factor in taxes paid -vs- public benifits and future social security. It is the low skill, low productivity farm workers and illegals that are going to cost us in the long run...

[widebody911]

Simply put, American companies want to pay 3rd-world wages - the cost delta ends up in executive bonuses. American workers get all uppity, wantin' stuff like "vacation" and "sick leave," "medical insurance" and enough salary to buy a house. Schit like that.

[Hawktel]

He is talking about HB-I visa employee's. Not your average Raj or Jose. I agree with Gates on this one. And I think his point about each on they hire causes other hires, is valid as well.

[jyl]

We should encourage high skill immigrants, through all sorts of means, including H1B but also including other avenues of immigration. There should be practically no quota on them.

High skill people, whether they be from India, Europe, China, whereever, are big positives for the economy. The US technology industry is full of immigrants, many of our best tech companies were started by immigrants - mostly Chinese and Indians.

US companies will still send work to India for the lower labor costs, though.

[genrex]

Meanwhile, qualified computer-science graduates of our universities are applying to Microsoft, but their applications are routinely rejected! The unemployment rate among new graduates of computer-science programs here in western Washington (the home of Microsoft!) is very high, over 75%. I think Gates should try explaining why THEIR applications are rejected, and why there are so many immigrants from the subcontinent living here and working the jobs that THEY should be working.

Good luck with that..

[Scott R]

I've been through three MS engineers this month from professional services, the guy that arrived Monday is fresh from India, and he's good, I mean, real good. Has a good work ethic as well.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Scott R

I've been through three MS engineers this month from professional services, the guy that arrived Monday is fresh from India, and he's good, I mean, real good. Has a good work ethic as well.

I agree with the work ethic from those countries. They are like a machine and almost never complain. Not that we should take advantage of that but I find that they are very easy to deal with.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by genrex

Meanwhile, qualified computer-science graduates of our universities are applying to Microsoft, but their applications are routinely rejected! The unemployment rate among new graduates of computer-science programs here in western Washington (the home of Microsoft!) is very high, over 75%. I think Gates should try explaining why THEIR applications are rejected, and why there are so many immigrants from the subcontinent living here and working the jobs that THEY should be working.

Good luck with that..

Maybe they don't meet the standards of MS? Regardless of why MS won't hire them, if 75% don't have jobs, they need to move. Guys like that are in high demand elsewhere.

[Mule]

I've seen some H1B guys who may have been God's gift to programming but couldn't speak English. Net effectiveness on a 1-10 scale, about a 3.

[Drago]

It's no surpise here. 15-20 years ago there wasn't much of a foreign presence here at a large aerospace company in the PNW.

Today, it's Russians, Spaniards, Italians, the Japanese, Indian, etc.

Although the Brits have been here all along.

It's an interesting enviorment now. All the different cutlures still seek out each other, reminders me of the clicks in high school. I suppose it's just familiarity and comfort for them. I'd probably do the same if I were in their country.

I'm currently trying, quite unsuccessfully, to break into the hot female Russian engineer ranks.

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by Drago

I'm currently trying, quite unsuccessfully, to break into the hot female Russian engineer ranks.

Drago,

Russian chicks aren't interested in Americans once they get their papers in order. You need to find yourself a Russian chick who's on some kind of short term visa.

[livi]

Would he perhaps hire a Swedish fluffer..?

[Drago]

Undoubtedly. I'm not looking for anything long term. Well, maybe one of them...

They are rotated through here fairly regularly. Kind of like a new crop every few months...

Originally Posted by Neilk

Drago,

Russian chicks aren't interested in Americans once they get their papers in order. You need to find yourself a Russian chick who's on some kind of short term visa.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Hot female engineers............there's something wrong with that phrase.

[Jim Sims]

"Our shortage of scientists and engineers will only get worse with time, because the supply coming from American colleges is a mere trickle."


This is BS; there is not a shortage of scientists and engineers. If there were, the pay and working conditions would be a lot better and they would be better utilized. There are far too many new PhD scientists on their third or forth post-doc. I know of new engineering school graduates looking for jobs for over a year. The employers want to pay low wages for 10-15 years of experience and/or the top of the class. They have little interest in making an investment in new personnel. If allowed, it will become a "race to the bottom". All jobs (including yours - present and future) can be "cheapened" and exported if that is what is allowed.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Hawktel

He is talking about HB-I visa employee's. Not your average Raj or Jose. I agree with Gates on this one. And I think his point about each on they hire causes other hires, is valid as well.

Yeah, as America becomes less industrial we should be encouraging the brightest and best to come here so we can be number one in technology.

[nostatic]

welcome to the war on terror. now go home.