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H1B debate: The problem is not racism or an elaborate scam - it's arithmetic

The article from Scroll.in discusses the debate surrounding the H-1B visa program in the United States, arguing that the core issue isn't racism or an elaborate scam, but rather simple arithmetic. The H-1B visa, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, has a cap of 85,000 visas per year, with 20,000 reserved for those with advanced degrees from US institutions. The demand for these visas far exceeds the supply, leading to a lottery system for allocation. This scarcity creates a situation where companies, particularly in tech, are incentivized to game the system by submitting multiple applications for the same candidate or hiring more workers than needed, knowing some will be sent back. The author, Anil Padmanabhan, suggests that the real problem is the mismatch between the number of visas available and the market demand, exacerbated by the lack of increase in visa numbers despite rising demand. He proposes that increasing the visa cap could alleviate the pressure and reduce the perceived need for gaming the system, thereby addressing the underlying arithmetic issue rather than focusing on allegations of racism or fraud.

Read the Full Scroll Article at:
[ https://scroll.in/article/1077545/h1b-debate-the-problem-is-not-racism-or-an-elaborate-scam-its-arithmetic ]