http://www.fairus.org/issue/workforce-economy/h-1b-visas-harming-american-workers

“H-1B Visas: Harming American Workers

April 2008

The H-1B visa program allows people in professional occupations to work in the United States on a long-term basis with the opportunity to convert to permanent residents. The program’s ostensible purpose was to supply American businesses with professional workers when there were shortages of qualified American workers. But, during the popping of the ‘high-tech bubble’ early this decade, with tens of thousands of highly skilled U.S. workers being laid off, the industry continued to hire tens of thousands of new H-1B workers. Thereby, they were able to cut labor costs by replacing American workers with foreign workers willing to accept lower wages.