It is if stopping to work is equivalent with getting deported though. Great system the US created with h-1b

The problem is that the following is what is was intended for:

"The H-1B program allows companies and other employers in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent."

Note, among other things, the word "temporarily" and the phrase :highly specialized knowledge." The real problem is that H-1Bs are often used by companies in very different ways than their stated purpose.

I’ve never received RSUs in a public company but can’t you basically set the strike price at whatever value you want? It’s just a financial instrument after all. NOTE, I’m not arguing for backdating.

RSUs have a strike price of $0 kind of by definition. And they're income when the restriction lapses, and that's complex when the stock is illiquid, so that's not ideal (sometimes, there's a dual restriction with time and liquidity, but that's messy as well)

Stock options could have a strike price of whatever, but tax favored stock options need to be granted at fair market value. Granting non-favored options away from FMV needs to be treated as immediate income, which is messy.