Thread by @NicoleShanahan

Having lived in Silicon Valley for 20+ years and founded and sold an AI company, I've seen firsthand how we rely on H-1B to fill grueling, unglamorous coding jobs. These jobs are essential, and we need capable people doing them. But the system needs an overhaul.

🧵 Here's why:

To keep pace with global competitors like China and India, we need Americans ready to tackle the challenging jobs in these fields. We have them, but often our STEM grads turn their noses up at these entry-level, low-paying coding positions after investing in a costly education.

So why are immigrants from India, China, and elsewhere so eager for these jobs? It's not because they're glamorous or because these roles don't exist back home. And definitely not because they offer high salaries. There's something else driving this...

The undeniable proof that the United States is the single greatest nation on earth is that people from every corner of the globe dream of coming here—not to China or India—but America.

I take issue with some of the discourse I've read online today suggesting “lazy American culture” is the main driver for why we need to continue the H-1B program. Let's be real: tech companies getting massive breaks on cheap labor at the expense of the American way of life is predatory.

Blaming our culture for why American STEM grads won’t take underpaying jobs is ridiculous and insulting.

The system we've constructed with H-1B visas, whether we like it or not, incentivizes people to come here and serve as essentially indentured servants for Big Tech, taking on the tough, grueling jobs that few here in America are excited to perform at the current suppressed salaries.

In return, if you’re good at your job, you're then put on a fast track to get a Green Card, which means legal status and the chance to bring your family over through chain migration.

I’m reminded of this famous line by our second President, John Adams: “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”

Just because our kids have the “right” to chase artistic dreams like music and painting, doesn't mean we should bring in hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to displace them in math-intensive careers. It's a two-fold issue: both our education and immigration policies are broken. Instead of tackling these complex issues head-on, Big Tech monopolies and tech VCs are looking for the fastest way to outcompete globally and become industry giants. It's paid off—look at the insane valuations of these companies!

We can't entirely blame them for this approach—it's been the industry norm for 40 years—but we can insist they seek out the tough, lasting solutions. No more temporary fixes.

I was asked if teaching American kids coding from a younger age would make them want these coding jobs. My response? No, it won't. These jobs aren't fun, people.

But, do I think removing the incentive of attaining legal status would reduce the volume of foreign applicants? Absolutely.

And, guess what? That might finally force Big Tech to look for workers right here at home (and pay them a competitive wage). Americans expect fair pay, which means these companies would have to start sharing their wealth rather than hoarding it.

Meritocracy is key to America's greatness, but so are justice and fairness—we shouldn’t keep rewarding an industry that has curtailed free speech and American values. After Trump's recent victory, the everyday worker feels empowered like never before. They won't surrender that power, and frankly, it's not right to imply they should.

There are numerous ways to improve our immigration system while safeguarding the American labor force (and I say “force” because it truly is capable, creative, and powerful).

Here are two straightforward steps to start the process:

1. Immigration policy must be designed to protect the American way of life and its workforce. Singapore’s work permit program, which they designed in the '90s, was built from this standard and could provide good inspiration. They use a modern-day designation system to manage the influx of labor across various sectors.

⁃ Employers face levies (essentially fees that employers have to pay for each foreign worker they hire. It's a way to manage the number of foreign workers coming in by making it more expensive to employ them, encouraging companies to also look for talent locally).
⁃ There are Dependency Ceilings, which essentially limit the number of foreign workers based on the local workforce—this is KEY.
⁃ They impose restrictions on the countries from which workers can come.
⁃ Permits are diversified across industries to ensure balance.

2. Special economic zones are amazing and can transform local tech job markets. Hiring locally is going to be critical for making sure Americans are taking key tech industry roles AND able to support their families.

If we really want to lift America to heights unseen in generations—not just talk about it, but actually do it—then we can’t continue to stick to outdated strategies that have harmed Americans. We owe it to ourselves and our communities to aim higher and do better.