H-1B Visa Quotas
Current Research for the MLA LD & PF Debate Topic…

TOPIC: Increasing H-1B Visa Quotas
Resolved: The United States federal government should increase its quota of H-1B visas.

Background:

…the H-1B visa system in the U.S. is the country’s largest guest worker visa program, and an important channel for high-skilled immigration. It allows companies to hire foreign workers for specialized jobs that can be challenging to fill. It benefits the tech industry enormously, also including health care, science, & finance, …to fill gaps in their workforces. [President Trump\’s executive] order is the latest development in a long-running debate over how companies use the H-1B program and how it affects American workers. Much of the dispute surrounds whether companies take advantage of the program to hire foreign workers for lower pay, displacing Americans from those jobs. It’s important to understand the underlying elements: one level rests on the heavy use of H-1B visas by outsourcing firms; another on the disagreement over whether the program increases companies’ access to scarce skills, or merely helps them minimize costs. Excerpt: Harvard Business Review, May 4, 2017

MLA Resources (Evidence/Arguments Packet): 
MLA Flowsheet (Final): PDF / MLA Scouting Report (Final): PDF
MLA Evidence (Final): PDF & MLA \’Extra\’ Evidence: PDF / MLA Arguments (Final): PDF
MLA Rejoinders (Final): PDF & PRO-01  PRO-02
MLA Voting Issues (Final): PDF & PRO-01  PRO-02  PRO-03  
PRO-01: Reducing Skilled Labor Shortage 
PRO-02: Benefits to Foreign Workers 
PRO-03: Improving the U.S. Economy 
CON-01: Exploitation of H-1B System (ex. Loopholes / Outsourcing) 
CON-02: Causing ‘Brain Drain’ (Immoral to ‘steal’ away “Best & Brightest”) 
CON-03: Facilitating Racial/Gender Inequality

Whiteboard Photos (& Research Packets): 
[-] Outline (H-1B Visas) – PRO-01 Rejoinder on Labor Shortage (MLA, 2018-05-03).jpg
[-] Outline (H-1B Visas) – PRO-02 Rejoinder on Benefiting Workers (MLA, 2018-05-03).jpg
[-] Outline (H-1B Visas) – PRO-01 Voting Issue on Labor Shortage (MLA, 2018-05-04).jpg
[-] Outline (H-1B Visas) – PRO-02 Voting Issue on Benefiting Workers (MLA, 2018-05-04).jpg
[-] Outline (H-1B Visas) – PRO-03 Voting Issue on Improving the Economy (MLA, 2018-05-04).jpg
[-] H-1B (Rebuttals) – vs All Arguments (April 9, 2018).jpg
[-] Rebuttals (H-1B Visas) – PRO vs Nova 42 (MLA, 2018-04-16).jpg
[-] H-1B (PRO-01) Reducing Shortage of Skilled Labor.jpg
[-] H-1B (CON-01) Increasing Exploitation (Loopholes & Outsourcing).jpg
[-] H-1B (CON-03) Increasing Discrimination (Racial & Gender Inequality).jpg
[-] PF Research – H-1B Visa Quotas (Big Sky Debate, 2018-03-01) 
[-] PF Research – H-1B Visa Quotas (Forensics Files, 2018-03-01)
[-] PF Research – H-1B Visa Quotas (Victory Briefs, 2018-03-01)
[-] PF Research – H-1B Visa Quotas (Champion Briefs, 2018-03-01)
[-] Video: April PF Topic Analysis (Harrison Hurt, Champion Briefs, March 26, 2018 – 20 min) 

Research Videos (Required):
[-] [Audio] H-1B Visa Debate: Are Foreign Tech Workers Hired Over Americans? (NPR News, March 6, 2017 – 4 min)
[-] \”You\’re Fired!\” (60 Minutes / CBS News, March 19, 2017 – 14 min)  [Transcript: PDF]
[-] Trump administration cracks down H-1B visa abuse (CNN Tech, February 23, 2018 – 1 min)
[-] H-1B Visa Applications Hit Cap in Just 5 Days, Despite Trump Crackdown (Newsweek, April 11, 2018 – 1 min) 
[-] H-1B visa applications are down again (CNN Tech, April 12, 2018 – 2 min)

Research Articles (Required):
[-] What Are H-1B Visas, and Do They Hurt American Workers? (New York Times, April 6, 2018)
[-] The H-1B Visa Debate, Explained (Harvard Business Review, May 4, 2017)
[-] Trump administration cracks down H-1B visa abuse (CNN Tech, February 23, 2018)
[-] All of this year’s H-1B visas have already been taken (Quartz India, April 12, 2018)
[-] H-1B visa applications are down again (CNN Tech, April 12, 2018) 

Optional Research Articles/Videos (Newer): 
[-] Wall doesn\’t exist yet – Trump has already erected new barriers for foreign workers (Washington Post, March 21, 2018)
[-] Highly skilled foreign workers flow into the U.S. – some making more than $100k/yr (Business Insider, April 5, 2018)
[-] U.S. Prepares to Distribute H-1B Visas Without Trump-Demanded Changes (Wall Street Journal, April 6, 2018)
[-] H-1B Program: A Primer on the Program and Its Impact on Jobs, Wages, and the Economy (The American Immigration Council, April 6, 2018) [PDF]  
Additional Fact Sheets: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/publications/fact-sheet
Another Fact Sheet (2003): Immigration Policy Focus, September 2003 

From the Immigration Policy Focus, September 2003: Armed with new powers, as well as additional funding derived from employers’ H-1B fees, the Department of Labor has increased enforcement of H-1B rules. Despite this increased enforcement, the number of serious violations remains low both in total and as a percentage of H-1B petitions approved, indicating that abuse is not widespread. In 2001, only 9 violations were deemed willful or requiring debarment, while there were 7 such violations in 2002.

Optional Research Articles/Videos (Previous):
[-] Alphabet\’s Eric Schmidt says H-1B visa cap is \’stupid\’ (CNN Tech, May 4, 2017 – 2 min)
[-] New H1B Visa Policy – Full Report (ET Now (India), February 23, 2018 – 3 min)
[-] H-1B Visa Program Puts American Workers at Risk, Republican Senator Says (Newsweek, January 17, 2018 – 1 min)
[-] Clampdown on visas for doctors could hurt these parts of the U.S. (CNN Money, April 22, 2017)
[-] Trump Has Started a Brain Drain Back to India (Foreign Policy, September 22, 2017) [PDF]
[-] H-1B Program: A Primer on the Program and Its Impact on Jobs, Wages, and the Economy (The American Immigration Council, April 6, 2018) [PDF]  

Contact Information (Coach Bill):
Bill Eddy,
CoachBill@MagnetAcademy.com   
714.655.8135 (I prefer text)
When contacting me, please include your name and class information (day/time). Thanks!