An H-1B cap hike would mean a grim future for workers

In the immigration debate, its tech versus academics

May 19, 2014 06:15 AM ET

WASHINGTON -- If Congress approves comprehensive immigration reform, it will likely more than double the cap on H-1B visas. What would happen then?

On Friday, some of the leading academic critics of the H-1B program took part in a forum held via conference call to discuss the problems the visa program is creating, and what will happen if the cap grows from 85,000 to 180,000, as proposed in the Senate's immigration bill.

More jobs will be sent offshore if the H-1B cap is increased -- that was one warning. Another was that age discrimination against IT workers over age 35 will increase as the percentage of guest workers in the tech workforce rises.

The litany of potential woes associated with hiking the H-1B cap was long and bleak, filled with somber predictions such as these: Americans will have a harder time finding jobs, wages will suffer, U.S. students may decide not to study science and engineering, and America's capacity for innovation will decline.

More: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248416/An_H_1B_cap_hike_would_mean_a_grim_future_for_workers