Programmers can make it in the US again?

Eugen Tarnow  May 24 2011 06:25:13 PM

Finally, US programmers may not have to work for Indian salaries anymore!  A Texas grand jury is investigating InfoSys’s use of B-1 visas.  I have seen Indian programmers and administrators come into the US two weeks after a phone call and start working full time.  This is not possible on an H-1 visa for which an ad has to be taken out and a salary set in conjunction with the Department of Labor.  What I understand is that the State Department started to issue L-1 visas in India that were used for this purpose.  Effectively the programmer salaries in the IS were then set to Indian levels.  While Bangalore may be expensive, the Indian salaries I understand to be $10-20 per hour, which is not enough to support a family in the US.  

I hope the investigation covers visa categories other than B-1 and that companies other than InfoSys will be targeted. Though it is tempting to pay South Asian salaries in the US, such is not right with the cost of living the way it is. In order to save money elsewhere, companies that use Lotus Notes may instead have to consider mail management solutions and reap the potential cost-cutting benefits of Lotus Notes mail archiving and Lotus Notes search tools.

• Comments [0]