JANUARY 15, 2019

The H-1B Visa program, in its current design, has one notable feature: visas are allocated randomly, by a lottery system, to those who are eligible for it. This is in part because there is a cap on the number of visas that may be approved in a given year, to help control the amount of legal immigration and employment opportunities for natives. But, what are some of the consequences of this system, and is an alternative a better solution for visa allocation?

Chad Sparber from Colgate University examined the possibility of a merit-based allocation system for H-1B visas. While explicitly taking no stance on whether the number of visas should be adjusted, Sparber did argue that the distribution of visas might be better if they prioritized those applications which were getting the best offers in terms of salary and compensation. Sparber was curious how such a system would impact the overall increase in productivity.

His models and simulations ultimately concluded that switching the allocation system would cause the overall skill level of H-1B visas recipients to rise dramatically, as would overall output and output per capita. Additionally, he found that native workers without bachelor’s degrees would have greater opportunities and benefits, though native workers with bachelor’s degrees would suffer from a slight wage decrease. It remains to be seen whether this distribution system will be seriously considered by law-markers, but it would be an interesting and potentially worthwhile change.

Citation: Sparber, C. (2018). Choosing Skilled Foreign-Born Workers: Evaluating Alternative Methods for Allocating H-1B Work Permits. Industrial Relations, 57, 3–34.

H-1B签证抽签应否随机分配？

H-1B签证在其目前的设计中有一个特色：签证会通过抽签系统随机分配给有资格获得该签证的申请者。主要是因为每年签证数量存在上限，以帮助控制移民劳动力的数量，保护本地工作者能够找到工作。但是，这个是否就是运行H-1B的最佳方法，对于签证分配而言，是否存在更好的替代方案？

来自高露洁大学的Chad Sparber研究了基于优点（Merit-Based）的H-1B签证分配系统的可能性。虽然对于是否应该调整签证数量没有明确表态，但Sparber确实认为，如果签证优先考虑那些在工资和薪酬方面明显突出的申请者，那么签证的分配可能会更好。Sparber也好奇这样的H-1B签证系统会对整体社会生产力有多少提升。

他的研究模型和模拟最终得出结论，改变分配制度将导致H-1B签证申请者的整体技能水平大幅度上升，人均产出也会大幅上升。此外，他发现没有学士学位的本地工人会拥有更多的机会和福利，不过拥有学士学位的本地工人的工资会有轻微减少的趋势。立法人士是否会认真考虑这种分配制度还有待观察，但或许此制度值得一试。