Opinion: New Work Visa, $100K

The New Colossus

By Emma Lazarus

Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to be free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

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U.S. immigration

Before the twentieth century, there was virtually no restriction on immigration into the U.S., except for certain targeted groups, as specified in legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the 1894 act that restricted the number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. However, after World War I ended, there was fear of unrestricted immigration from the war-torn countries of Europe. So, in 1921, Congress passed a law that established a quota for each country, based on a percentage of the number of people who were already residents of the U.S. and former residents of the affected countries.

Over the next few decades, Congress made adjustments to the immigration law as public perceptions changed. Finally, in 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act removed the quotas and emphasized family reunification. Then in 1990, Congress recognized a growing need for foreign workers, especially for the growing “dot-com” industry and established the H-1B program for skilled, temporary workers. Gradually, slight changes were made, including an annual fee that averaged about $250 per year before the new millennium.

Current practice

At present, H-1B visas cost between $2,000 and $5,000. The document also requires that applicants possess at least a bachelor’s degree and have competency for the high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill. But, according to the Associate Press (AP), “Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to U.S. technology workers.”