America is losing many very skilled workers because of its anti-immigrant sentiment, and while this is a disappointing blow to me and my classmates, it will also be a blow to the United States’ competitiveness in the global economy.Like all that really matters to the 63 million voters, right? They are willing to cut their proverbial noses in order to spite all our faces!
More and more stories every day, which will gladden the 63 million voters:
Uncertainty in the United States has been a boon to Canada, which since the election has seen a surge in immigration and interest from tech workers and entrepreneurs.What a wonderful approach to making Canada great again!
The number of tech workers from around the world migrating to Canada is on track to beat 2016’s total by 18%, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.Ouch!
The Canadian government has also laid the groundwork to make the region more tech-friendly, Tam said. There are tax incentives for companies that invest in research and development. Students who study at public Canadian universities are offered a path to permanent residency. And a new, fast-tracked worker’s visa established this summer allows companies to bring foreign talent to the country without having to go through the rigmarole of a lottery.Seriously, have the 63 million voters thought through their approach to keep the immigrants out? Do they really believe that keeping immigrants away will automatically making the country great?
Meanwhile, the market does what the market does. It even figures out a backdoor and inhumane approach like the "Optional Practical Training, which allows foreign students earning degrees from American institutions to work in their field for a year after graduation":
The flexibility of the OPT program is one reason why its numbers increased 39 percent between 2014 and 2016, and why nearly two times more OPTs were approved than H-1Bs last year. With more than 300,000 OPTs currently working in the United States, according to the federal government, the program has become a key part of the tech industry’s efforts to recruit globally.This is not always a good deal for the students--it is "white-collar indentured servitude" for many:
For every graduate who lands a job at Amazon, Intel, or Microsoft, many more end up laboring at small companies known as “body shops” that specialize in contracting tech workers for IT and software development roles at larger firms, usually for short-term projects.Keep in mind that such abuse of labor in servitude that lingers in the shadows is what happened in the ag industry, hotel/restaurant industry. Right?
Of the million or so foreigners studying at American universities, 16 percent come from India. At last count, there were more than 90,000 Indian OPTs in the United States—more than double the number in 2010.The work visas become more difficult, while more go the route of OPT. Works well for businesses and their shareholders, but a disaster for the worker bees. But then, as the tax bill clearly shows, making America great again has really become making America's rich richer again! So, the OPT abuse fits right in with this approach.
Yet for all the debate raging over H-1Bs, the OPT program—which has no enrollment cap—has flown under the radar to become the surer, bigger path for Indians to temporarily work in the United States. Recently, Pravin Rao, the chief operating officer of outsourcing firm Infosys, told India’s Economic Times that his company (which has secured thousands of H-1Bs over the years) was now “looking at hiring from more colleges in the US.” Instead of facing the scrutiny that goes with importing midlevel workers from India, it could use the OPT program to take advantage of resources already in the United States.I am sure that 63 million voters are delighted with all these.
I won a green card through the #Diversity lottery & was just called *trash* by @POTUS. Since then Ive completed a PhD at @Harvard, became a fellow at @BrookingsInst & paid LOTS of taxes. I know many others who contribute a lot to this country. Oh well, perspectives... https://t.co/eTAfOKw0WB— Dany Bahar (@dany_bahar) December 15, 2017
