H-1B visas going to Average Joes

WASHINGTON, April 28 (UPI) -- The Center for Immigration Studies Monday said most H-1B visas are going to ordinary people doing ordinary work in the United States, not to specialists.

The report, "H-1Bs: Still Not the Best and the Brightest," reached its conclusion by analyzing the salaries earned by foreign workers, assuming the more outstanding an individual is, the higher his/her pay.

The H1B visa ostensibly grants both residency and work allowance for someone a U.S. employer couldn't find in the domestic work force. It's also a significant step toward citizenship for those who want it.

The analysis by Dr. Norman Matloff, a computer science professor at the University of California, Davis, found those holding H-1Bs earning just average wages and working at entry-level positions. He also found, despite popular belief, Western European workers are just as competent in math as their Asian counterparts.

"Those arguing for an increase in the number of H-1B visas … claim that continued U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics hinges on our ability to import the world's best engineers and scientists," the center said in a news release. "But this new data analysis shows that the vast majority of H-1B workers -- including those at most major tech firms -- are not the innovators industry portrays them to be."