Comment by jopsen | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jopsen | Hacker News Reader

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> indentured servants on H1B visas

That a pretty loaded statement on its own too.

I was an H1B, but I most certainly didn't feel indentured. Nor did other recruiters who wanted to talk to me.

I did actually end up moving back to Denmark, but that's another story.

I think my point is that even for Europeans that have competitive job offers elsewhere, H1B is still the easiest visa, if you want to work on the US.

I'll admit I think I mostly did it for the experience -- it was fun, I learned a lot -- but it's not like I couldn't have gotten the same job in Europe or Canada. I probably could, probably even with the same employer. I did even work remotely a few months from Denmark before my H1B kicked in.

I would be sad to see H1B go, I had a lot of fun. And if I wanted to stay I'm confident I would have found a green card sponsor with ease.

It's inaccurate insofar as as the indentured servitude of the 19th century was actually a proper path to citizenship while the new form officially is not, with participants only hoping to have a shot at citizenship if they get lucky with other visa applications. Otherwise, it binds workers to their employer in a way that facilitates wage suppression and other labor abuse. That's why it's indentured servitude.

People can jump employers while one H1B, anyways, it's besides my point, which is:

Until the US had better visa programs, it would be a shame to dismantle the H1B program.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

Make a replacement, then talk about changing H1B.

> People can jump employers while one H1B

Good luck finding a new employer willing to sponsor your H1B within just 60 days (the grace period allowed before self-deportation) in this job market.

Additionally, switching employers resets your green card approval process (if it has started), which can take years. This serves as a significant disincentive to change employers unless you've already filed your I-485. Considering that an H1B worker has only 6 years to progress through this process, there is even more pressure to avoid changing employers.

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