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Who picks how many spots to auction off? Is there any rational basis for that number or is it just some kind of random 'out of your ass' political thing?

https://johnhcochrane.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-optimal-numbe...

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I’d rather see an auction, not for the salary, but for a tax “right to hire”, to be paid yearly as long as the H1B is here. That tax should go for college tuition for US students studying in the field of the role being filled by this H1B. Potentially that tax should also be sent straight into social security general fund (not for the H1B holder). If those H1Bs aren’t converted to green cards, then the country will never have to pay out any Social Security benefits, continuing the systems liquidity.

Just set it to equal the current number of h1b slots

What basis does the current number have in reality?

Some politicians got together and agreed on it.

Which is doubtless a terrible way to go about things. See: the article I posted above.

I agree.

But these are unfortunately political decisions in our society.

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