RE: Lest ye get too complacent

Joe,
 
There are various laws in place to ensure that workers who come here on an H1-B 
visa CANNOT be paid less than the prevailing wage for the job type, job and 
geographical area. In the same article that Steve Landes quoted comes this:
 
"Aside from documenting that the position offered is in a specialty occupation 
and that the employee has the appropriate credentials for the job, the employer 
need only verify that the H-1B worker is being paid the prevailing wage for the 
work being performed and that employment of a foreign worker is not harming 
conditions for US workers."
 
I came here on an H1-B in 1997, got a Green Card and am now applying for US 
citizenship. When I first came here in 1997, I was AMAZED that there were jobs 
for AS/400 people that Americans didn't want. I went through the 4-year Green 
Card application process, including several weeks of having MY job advertised 
in the newspapers (not just the crappy locals, but things like the San 
Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News). A grand total of 3 (totally 
unqualified) people applied for the job (which was for a well-known big 
company, paid well and provided good benefits). Now maybe that's just the Bay 
Area, but I've heard similar stories from friends of mine elsewhere in the US. 
Sure, it's all apocryphal, but I have no doubt there's some truth to it - one 
of the BIG reasons the US is importing tech workers is because Americans can't 
(or won't) do the jobs. Amybe improving America's education system would help...
 
Finally, if you believe companies are breaking the law by hiring foreign 
workers for below-prevailing wage, then either call the cops or your 
congressman. Otherwise you come off sounding like you're just anti-immigration, 
which I doubt is the case.
 
Regards and a Very Merry Christmas,
 
Rory