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Don't blame H-1B workers for America's woes

February 11, 2009

I am no fan of H-1B visas either. These visas are valid for up to six years. If a worker on an H-1B visa wants to stay permanently, he has to apply for a permanent resident visa.

These visas are in very short supply and can take more than a decade to obtain. While they wait for permanent residence, some H-1B workers get paid below-market salaries and endure many other hardships.

Innovation could be hampered

But placing limits on this mechanism for bringing foreign workers to the U.S. is not the answer to the country's rising unemployment rate and may undermine efforts to spur technological innovation.

New research highlights the significant contribution made by foreign nationals to the U.S. economy and undercuts arguments that foreign students may be "crowding out" Americans in science and engineering and leading them to pursue careers in professions like medicine or law.

Image: A man walks in front of a job centre as unemployment rate rises sharply in the US. | Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Also read: Can Microsoft Catch Up in Mobile?

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