Indian IT industry slams US move to hike visa fee

[OhioChick]

Source: Economic Times of India

7 Aug 2010, 1758 hrs IST,IANS

BANGALORE: The Indian IT industry Friday slammed the US government's proposal to sharply increase visa fee to raise funds for its border security needs.

"The Border Security Bill, which was passed by the US senate late Thursday, will have a significant impact on the Indian IT sector, as it aims to raise about $600 million by increasing fee for H-1B and L-1 visas," National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) president Som Mittal said.

The proposed hike is expected to be about $4,500 per visa from $2,500 currently.

"We estimate the impact on Indian IT firms could be as high as $200-250 million per year," Mittal said.

Several Indian IT firms avail H-1B and L-1 visas in thousands every year to fly their software engineers to the US for working at their clients' locations as on-site techies.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/visa-power/Indian-IT-industry-slams-US-move-to-hike-visa-fee/articleshow/6271452.cms

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A continuation of this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4494391

[tridim]

1. Now IT sucks everywhere.

The whole fucking industry makes me sick. I'm out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. What is the difference between IT and someone who refers to himself

as a computer software engineer? Is it the same thing?

[tridim]

4. I would say it's the same thing.

I used to refer to myself as both.

[grendelsd]

11. Two completely different disciplines

Unfortunately for many software engineers and computer scientists, it is a common mistake to confuse them and, I believe, the huge rush to outsource is one of the results.

In general "IT" refers to the operations and maintenance of existing programs, computers, servers, cooling equipment, wireless routers, etc. Software engineering is the creation of new software and programs -- stuff that has not existed before. These are two distinct disciplines, although I would not argue one is harder/easier than the other but the first is more like the skilled (highly) construction worker and the second the mathematician/engineer/architect who drew up the plans.

The whole 'cloud' outsourcing movement that is popular with the "just read it in CIO magazine while sitting on the can" management set is trying to get rid of the first set. First they tried to reduce those costs by buying into Microsoft's "oh our stuff can be run by minimum wage high school grads bull" and now they are buying into the its 'in the cloud don't worry' bull.

The reason I make the distinction is that during the 2000's outsourcing the software engineering side was popular, but a huge failure. Not that our Indian brethren are not skilled or dedicated, but it is impossible to properly communicate the requirements. I have worked on teams that have replaced 10 local engineers with less effective 100 person teams in China or India. Corporations are very quickly trying to pull back form the arrangements if they really need to create software to survive.

I feel sorry for the IT crowd because they are next. There is some validity to delivering software in the 'cloud' but most needs to stay here but the "decision while pooping" management set will kill their industry, waste billions before they realized it.

[tridim]

12. The disciplines aren't distinct in small companies.

I've always had to conceptualize, develop, design and maintain all the software and hardware.

Maybe that's why it drove me crazy?

[grendelsd]

14. Excellent Point

Having run many small company teams, it makes hiring engineers very difficult because they must have both the 'soft' engineering and the 'hard' IT skills. It is a very rare combination.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Thank you!

What a wonderful explanation. Welcome to DU.

[Joanie Baloney]

24. Very nice explanation!

Are you sure you are on the right discussion board?? (Just kidding - but I'm sure you'll see what I mean soon.)

Welcome!

-JB

[AzNick]

15. Not the same thing

IT = Information Technology

You could be a systems engineer or a network engineer, be IT.

Or you could be a database developer (which I am) and be IT.

[bergie321]

19. Software Engineers

Are a subset of IT but usually when people say "IT guy" they are referring to hardware guys. Lot's of people get this confused.

[populistdriven]

7. been out for 2 years and i couldn't be happier

[tridim]

10. Did you find something you enjoy in a different capacity?

I've been trying to make the move back to architecture, but it's real tough since I haven't been in the biz since 1996.

Architecture, 3D design and general IT seems like a great skillset to have, but of course it also makes me grossly overqualified for almost everything. Overqualified is a sin these days.

[populistdriven]

17. yes i found a job in the scientific field my degree is in in a new firm and setup all the it stuff

pay is minimal but this will change because firm is growing quickly

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Hey, didn't India know that it was always about the money?

They don't really believe they are superior than anybody else, do they?

[Triana]

5. I have an idea. Make the corprats who want the cheap Indian labor

(instead of training/hiring American workers) pay the damn visa fees instead - consider it a tax/penalty for outsourcing/insourcing the damn jobs (or whatever the eff they're calling it these days)

Pfft.

[MH1]

22. don't worry, they hiring company will end up paying the fee

where did you think it would go?

I am happy for it being raised. I think it could be raised higher and that would be fine. :)

[iris27]

30. They do, or at least most of it.

H1-B fees are traditionally fully paid by the employer - which is why this was such a great political move. The fee is split into two portions. There is a "filing fee" portion, which employers can make the employee pay but usually don't. For the larger "training fee", which currently goes to fund training for US workers, it actually illegal to make the employee pay or to make them reimburse the employer in any way...its cost is required to be borne entirely by the employer.

From most articles I've seen on this story, it's that second part of the fee that's getting hiked. As it should, IMO.

[w4rma]

6. Good. Raise them higher. They are still too low. (nt)

[sendero]

8. Dear India..

... we did not found our country to provide you with IT jobs. Suck it.

[dipsydoodle]

9. apart from which

can I order #s 6 , 14 , 23 , two onion barges , egg fried rice and a Kingfisher beer.

[ibegurpard]

16. tough shit

[BootinUp]

18. Thats all I need to know

to support the bill.

[DainBramaged]

20. Fuck them. In the wallet. Fuck them again.

Jobs for AMERICANS not foreigners.

[47of74]

21. You know, Indian IT industry, you're Goddamn lucky!

If we did things my way you'd be paying a million dollars per visa application.

[MH1]

23. Waaaa.

:nopity:

[bemildred]

25. Yawn. nt

[Odin2005]

26. They can go fuck themselves sideways.

[hedgehog]

27. Wait - all it takes is raising the cost $2000 and companies will no

longer seek foreign hires? If it's true, that's very sad. If it's false, raise it again until it's true!

[east texas lib]

28. Thank you, come again...nt

;-)

[TheWatcher]

29. "WAAAAAA!!!!!! You Won't Let us suck you dry cheaply anymore!!!!!"

:eyes: