This is just derailing the discussion. Visas for privileged individuals bad = immigration bad.
"only applies to recent development" "For the entirety of the H visa program" "is a recent thing. The kickbacks are a relatively new thing."
expand the conversation scope to responding to what you state, and for me to say that in fact what you are claiming is incorrect.
But let’s assume you’re right. Even if 90% of them were unskilled, the other 10% is still incredibly valuable for the American economy and taxpayers. And it’s not even a difficult decision. That “loss” is tiny compared to the extreme benefit we receive, that literally NO other country on the planet can replicate. Unless we give it away, like you’re proposing to do.
If the h1b program was a perm residence visa, then your argument holds water. When they return home, they will take their 15 years of experience and offshore their capital.
Whereas if a perm resident had that same job, they would keep their money invested in American businesses (and real estate).
If our goal is to brain drain the world, lets replace the h1b visa program with a program with a clear attainable path to perm residency.
You have to ask yourself what other implicit objectives you have because as it stands, raising the green card employment-based cap and raising the per-country cap would get you want immediately.
As an America living in southeast with ~40 years of life to plan for, I face the similar issue of: which country can I feel can be a 'safe' home for me to live in?
If Vietnam had a f1 -> h1b system (and no country caps), I would still not feel safe to call Vietnam my home.
- The h1b is a lottery. I could work my butt off and still just be unlucky.
- H1b is tied to employment. If I lost my job due to economic situations, poor politics, or personal health issues, I have 60d to find a new job or buy airplane tickets to leave.