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Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/18/2024-29354/modernizing-h-1b-requirements-providing-flexibility-in-the-f-1-program-and-program-improvements

I've seen some confusion about how H-1Bs relate to foreign students in US universities. I've said this before: the H-1B is the primary visa that foreign students already in US universities get after they graduate.

"Employers of F-1 students under OPT often file petitions to change the students' status to H-1B [..] Many times, [..] work authorization would expire prior to the student being able to assume the employment specified in the approved H-1B petition, creating a gap in employment."

Unless you are advocating that foreign students that are already in US universities should not be allowed to stay on unless they marry a US citizen or have a US family member, we need H-1B. We need reform, sure, but we need H-1B.

'But Americans should get dibs!! Not these horrible foreign students!!'

Can't help you with xenophobia, but these 'horrible foreign students' already only have a 1 in 4 chance of actually staying on and getting these jobs (that's the success rate of the H-1B lottery, which is mandatory).

So next time you want to rant about how oligarchs don't give Americans a level playing field, think about that statistic too.

@skinnylatte maybe some would have been eligible for O-1 out of grad school, but in my research group at the time we had 2/3 Europeans go back to Europe and 1 stayed in the US; Canadian (me) went back to Canada; Indian stayed in the US; 3 Americans stayed in the US...

@va2lam 70% of F-1s in undergrad stay on

@skinnylatte how else could one pay student debt...