I think it is safe to conclude that those in the know, either informed individuals or those working in the industry, all agree on one thing: top talent demands top dollar. Whether that be a Russian coder, a Chinese hacker, a German network engineer, or an American data scientist. We also know as a matter of fact the original intent of the H1B visa, it is clearly stated in writing. It was designed to fill the gap where American companies could not hire enough American talent that required advanced degrees and highly desirable skills. Those visa holders should have been highly paid for the defined required and demanded skill sets. That today's H1B Visa holders get paid below average is a proof that those are not the type of individuals the program was intended to target. How could it happen? Well, loopholes and some at the top looking away is the only explanation how someone can do something a law, regulation, or program was clearly NOT designed for. And what motivation do those at the top who look away usually have? Of course, either financial or power incentives or both.
Why are we still discussing the obvious? I would find it much more interesting to stretch our brains and think about how average American workers can be protected from low level engineer dumping from abroad while at the same time making it much easier for top international talent to be equipped with American Visa and work permits so they can be up and running quickly in the US if they desire to be there and if they are in demand by companies. Those top talents are competitive and earn at least as much as their American counterparts hence there should be no fear of wage dumping. But how to delineate those two categories of workers and ensure one group domestically is protected and that companies don't get a chance to continue to get away on the cheap while directly harming American engineers, and on the other side keeping the top bracket competitive. What's the point for foreign students to study in the US if the best have a very hard time finding a job because of visa issues? The American education even at top schools is not any better than at Tokyo University, Beijing University, LSE, Humboldt, Lausanne, UST HK and plenty others.
