Monday, September 22, 2003

H1-B Visa Cut. It doesn't affect me because I'm on a different visa as a Canadian, but it's interesting nonetheless.  The Washington Post is reporting that the number of H1-B visas is going to be cut from 195,000 to 65,000.  I know a fair number of people who have been out of work (although a lot of them have found jobs now), so I can certainly sympathize with this.  What I am worried about, though, is that we're just going to drive companies into overseas outsourcing.  In my position, two years ago I might have gotten one call a year asking me if I wanted to outsource.  Now I get at least two or three a month...outsourcing has become huge.  Sending those dollars overseas is the kind of thing that just might be contributing to our "jobless" recovery at the moment. In the long run, the only thing that has value in our business is change.  Get used to it.  You need to be able to efficiently do those changes.  As a domestic worker, you have serious advantages over the competition.  Your communication loop is tight.  You have a better cultural fit.  You can be a known quantity.  You can provide references.  Some of these advantages are going to fade over time, so you need to keep them up. Something that can't be outsourced, though, is raw creativity.  If you come up with something that hasn't been done before, it's your idea.  Creativity builds markets, companies, jobs, and wealth...it's something that this country does incredibly well, and can't be outsourced. 9:03:04 PM     | comment [] | trackback []