Companies like Cognizant, TCS, Infosys abuse the visa system. They are the reason for such caps to be introduced.

Recently Infosys was fined 35 million USD for visa fraud, that was just the tip of the ice berg http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405270230452750...

Or just rank em by salary/comp. More skilled people => more valuable to the economy => receive higher salary => more likely to get visa (=> pay more in taxes).

I think they should be auctioned off. (Either the company or the individual could pay the final auction price.)

The end result is the same: the most valuable workers are let in. It'd also have a small, but nice benefit: a voluntary revenue stream for the US to spend on whatever it would like (perhaps improved education and training for citizens).

This is one of the things I proposed in a comprehensive high-skilled visa reform proposal: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_yEsHOtzN3yZ3JoYXlTdDh0R0k...

Never really got around finishing it and pushing it out tough, although I am curious to see what the feedback is on it.

I just made a separate post for discussion on it as it goes a little out of scope of the subject of H1-Bs: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7550560

I imagine that would not work well for startups, though.

Wouldn't this create the obvious problem of companies artificially increasing comp.? How do you judge that? Seems like its asking for trouble. They already do this a little bit with advanced degrees.

Why is that a problem? They wouldn't bring in H1Bs unless there was an obvious benefit. Your "problem" just reduces the gap between value produced and compensation.

Yes, they would increase the compensation until they were paying the same rate they would need to to hire a citizen (which should already be the case, in theory).

I'm saying the company would try to "artificially" increase the value of compensation without adding anything that really is valued at the price they say it is. Think extra benefits, not increased salary.

That's a fantastic idea! The argument against more visas is that they drive down wages for current residents, and this seems to counteract that.

As a Indian, I would love if Visa to outsourcing firms are restricted. Take Cognizant for example, they can't compete for salary with most startups in Bangalore or Pune (and work is not great as well) and yet people want to join them, just for onsite allure.

On other hand, I would love to have a easier way to start a business in US and a Visa program that helps US economy.

DISCLAIMER: I run a services startup in Bangalore.

Hey, thanks for the 'disclaimer' there. That you are honest and thought that your opinions may be unduly influenced and that we should know it shows real maturity and a concern for others. Really, I do appreciate it. Keep up the good work. You are one of the people that makes HN great. Thank you.

I just added a comment about Cognizant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7550824

I believe that it is a very unhealthy model that they have.

"Does anyone know why the number of visas isn't capped on a per-company basis?"

Or why the state department does look at what skills are actually needed where ... or why those who get the visas remain utterly dependent on the companies that got them the visas, thus lower wages in a way an "ordinary market" etc?

-- Wow, I can think of a reason. I think of "a million reasons", all with the face of a founding father.

Yeah, if seriously high-skilled folks were let into the US, no questions asked and then weren't dependent on only company X, then they actually wouldn't be putting pressure on wages of existing geeks because they would have their own legitimate demands. But couldn't have that.

A H1 Visa is a great job perk for wannabe immigrants to US. Do you want to know the worst part of it?

H1 is supposed to be for high skill individuals, the actual people getting it are really like the absolute worst mid level corporate sycophants. The real high skill individuals are likely working at start ups, bootstrapping, or successfully running their own start ups. Who will never get Visas.

There are also other H1 candidates like doctors, Many of whom I think justifiable deserve it.

Either way the Indian start up ecosystem is growing wildly due to these Visa restrictions. Most people who would have likely started in San Francisco given a chance are starting up here now.

More accurate figures: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Reports/2013-H1B-Visa-Sponsor.aspx

Those are numbers for filed LCAs (a necessary step prior to filing for an H1), and not the actual numbers for approved H1s.

It is clearly being abused by outsourcing companies.

Also take a look at average salaries for true technology companies and outsourcing companies.

Perhaps there should be a minimal salary floor. Or perhaps some sort of auction based on salary instead of a lottery.

I don't think there is a quota limit per employer/sponsor.