$100k signing bonus and $150k salary was normal for fresh grads back in 2014, pretty sure big tech can afford this no problem for actual talent.

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whatever1 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

The big tech companies have the financial means to invest in anything. They are essentially printing money.

However, which startup can afford an additional cost of 100,000 dollars for a fresh PhD graduate who is essential for their niche?

The true economic benefit of the H1B visa program for the US economy lies in the long tail of smaller firms that require a limited number of specialized personnel, which, by definition, is scarce.

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trollbridge 4 days ago | parent [-]

A PhD holder should be coming in under O-1.

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whatever1 4 days ago | parent [-]

A PhD comes as a student with F1 student visa that expires the day of their graduation.

O1 is unlikely to be granted to a student who has not graduated yet. What are they going to show for evidence? Manuscripts in preparation? Or class grades?

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stale2002 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

> What are they going to show for evidence?

I guess they wouldn't have much to show for evidence. Which is exactly why they would be correctly classified as not being a specialist, and therefore undeserving on an O-1 visa.

These visas are not meant to allow company to hire underpaid employees that quite literally just graduated.

	▲	whatever1 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		A company conducts a technical interview to assess a candidate. Their public record is not their only criterion of hiring. USCIS relies exclusively on public record (and maybe recommendation letters)

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bigfatkitten 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

How many businesses have ever found a fresh graduate to be provably essential?

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whatever1 4 days ago | parent [-]

Name one person who is provably essential to a company.

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tester756 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Jensen Huang

	▲	whatever1 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Nvidia will continue to exist even if JH disappears today. All companies of that size have succession plans. See Apple and Alibaba.

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bigfatkitten 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

That’s my point. The problem you’ve raised doesn’t really exist.

	▲	whatever1 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		:facepalm:

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laidoffamazon 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> $100k signing bonus and $150k salary was normal for fresh grads back in 2014

No it was not