Yeah, this post got a bit longer than I'd planned.. answering three posts here.
(one correction: in my previous post I said HB1 when I meant H-1B)
Shane wrote..
It should be noted that things are no better for independents here in
the Antipodes.
I'm sure all of us (world-wide) have mates in dire straights.
How true that is. My main point was that advertising such as the
example quoted by the OP is just part of the legal procedural
requirement that an employer in the US must go through in order to
qualify for the H-1B visa that then allows them to bring in an o/seas
worker (typically at below-market rates) to take a job that "locals"
will appear not to want, either because the salary is shockingly low,
or because they didn't even know about it because it was only
advertised in the Mudflap* Monthly Inquirer or similar small
circulation paper.
*Please note that I have nothing against Mudflap, should such a
town/city actually exist
It's part of the clever techniques taught by US-based "H-1B
specialists" to US employers to advertise in specially chosen media
and localities where there is almost no chance that a qualified US
citizen is going to even see the advertisment. The technique relies
also on anyone qualified who does see the ad not responding due to a.
low salary offered or b. apparent location of the job being far from
big population centers.
There are some 300,000 foreign workers in Australia under our "457
Visa" system, the equivalent of the US H-1B visa. Employers complain
about "lack of skilled staff" and the (Federal) government makes up
for its complete lack of leadership in education and training in the
last 10 years by quietly opening the floodgates to imported
talent. Imports generally don't mind working in the more difficult
situations where Australians might want special allowances
for. After all, if you're prepared to travel ten or fifteen thousand
miles to find a job then you probably won't be too picky.
Ed Gould asked:
.. Is that salary even close down under?
From the (Australian) "Migration Regulations 1994" amended 2007 (IMMI 07/078):
(c) the applicable base salary is:
- (i) AUD 41,850 for occupations listed in Schedule A;
- (ii) AUD 57,300 for occupations listed in Schedule B;
- (iii) AUD 37,665 for occupations listed in Schedule C;
- (iv) AUD 51,570 for occupations listed in Schedule D;
..most of our IBM-MAIN technical jobs come under Schedule B :
__________________________________________________________________
SCHEDULE B - Information and Communication Technology occupations
allowable under standard Subclass 457 arrangements
1 MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS
1224-11 Information Technology manager
2. PROFESSIONALS
2231-11 Systems Manager
2231-13 Systems Designer
2231-15 Software Designer
2231-17 Application and Analyst Programmer
2231-19 Systems Programmer
2231-21 Computer Systems Auditor
2231-21 Computing Professionals not elsewhere classified
__________________________________________________________________
..and while AUD 57,300 (USD 51,280) may be a bit low for Sysprog
salaries in Australia** it would seem that's still USD 10,000 higher
than the amount being offered in the ad quoted by the OP. Some of
you may choose to come to Australia to work, and actually get paid
more than you do at home, for a while at least :-)
**Someone with more intimate knowledge may wish to comment further on
typical AU sysprog's salaries!
Bottom line: Your politicians seem to be serving the interests of US
businesses, with little or no apparent regard for the interests of US
skilled workers. This is just classic politics with a dash of
Globalisation thrown in. And it's not surprising since US skilled
workers are not organised, don't typically make donations to
Congressmen's and Senator's PACs (or whatever re-election funding
schemes are currently called) and don't take anyone in Washington to
lunch. Uh, except for..
Google ~ K street H1B Visa ~ or click the following link
<http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=653&page=5>
<http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=653&page=5>IV In
Washington Post: Skilled Immigrants Turn to K Street"
and find the post by "Sobers". That will tell you about how the H-1B
visa holders have themselves organised to lobby Washington. Read it
and weep.
Google: ~ Immigration Voice to H1B Visa ~. Those hits will give you
lots to think about. The H-1B Visa holders, or their employers, know
how to use your political system and they're doing it.
..and.. B Stephenson wrote..
Last year, our company performed a salary survey in our market near
Cleveland. When the results came back, the salary ranges were
drastically altered downward by about 15K for systems programmers.
..Survey methodology? Advertise enough of those $800/week jobs in
Cleveland and someone surveying salaries by looking at Job ads might
conclude that actual salaries were wayyy down. And, was there any
attempt to identify which jobs (if any) in the Cleveland area might
have been held by H-1B visa holders on, say, $800/week?
Sleep well.
Regards to all,
Graeme.
At 12:06 PM 11/19/2007, you wrote:
Last year, our company performed a salary survey in our market near
Cleveland. When the results came back, the salary ranges were
drastically altered downward by about 15K for systems programmers.
Of course all of us balked at the idea that we were worth 15K less
than the year before. Only after much wrangling did our management
finally cave in and keep the old salary ranges. However, none of us
have been promoted in the last 5 years!
B Stephenson
Ed Gould <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On Nov 18, 2007, at 2:46 AM, Shane wrote:
------------SNIP--------------------------
>
> This business is going to hell ...
>
> Shane ...
>
Shane,
I did not notice it thanks for pointing it out. Is that salary even
close down under?
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