Hey, I am one of those. And, while it is not slavery, it is real indentured servitude.
If I want to stay in this country, I am forced to work all the time. If I am without a job for over 60 days, I am considered an illegal alien, and get in hot waters.
So, I can't just quit and say "want to travel asia and europe for 60 days", and then get a new job.
Or Just quit for few months, and work on something on my own.
etc.. etc..
I have 6 years of time-frame to get that Green Card. End the process of getting it is LOONG. I can't switch employers, or get a real promotion without having it to reset the process all over again.
In the meanwhile, the employer knows this, and uses in it's own advantage.
Sure, I can quit, and
1. go home, (forget about comming back to this country).
2. Switch employers (and restart the green card process again).
Still, options that are not good for me right now, so I have to put up with the "Indentured servitude" until I get my freedom (which is the green card).
This thing actually started in the early 19th century, where mexican labour would be brought from mexico to work on US lands, but they had to pay all the expenses of the travel/documents themselves. So, they had to work until they paid everything, which took years (with their very low wages).
Hence they were said to be in "indentured servitude", not quite slaves, but basically between a rock and a hard place.
All my friends that got green cards, felt like they got freedom.
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt.
I've no problems with any of the rules that come along because it was my choice to work in the US on H1B.
A correction:
"I have 6 years of time-frame to get that Green Card."
-- You have more than 6 years. In the given validity of H1B visa, you just have to get your I-140 filed, after which you can file for yearly increment of your H1B visa.
Yes. Also, those farmers had a "choice" not to come in the US, yet they ended up in those conditions..
If you think you are free, Just quit your job for few weeks (over 60 days), and see what happens.
Illegal. Stay without a job over 6 months, and you can't get in the US for 10 years. Try to work another job, (that is not related to your profession), and it is considered illegal employment. It can be Automatic deportation.
Even if you want to part-time DJ (for fun), can be considered automatic deportation.
Also, a lot of very early stage startups don't want to deal (or don't have time and money) with such immigration hassles.
Sorry, this is not complete freedom. I am treated relatively well by my company, and make good money, but I'd also like to have the option to just quit, and work something out of my own, and see where it goes. I can't right now, and neither can you, unless you want to go back to your country, and say this country good bye for good.
That's a moot argument, that Mexicans are more productive in the US doesn't necessarily benefit the individual Mexican. It _is_ a great boon to the employer, though, if he can keep H1Bs with equal skills but lower wages than equivalent US workers.
Not saying that this is how it is (I haven't studied the matter), but your argument is worthless.
So you believe that the only right way to have people earn citizenship is by forcing them to stay with the same employer for 3-6 years without a real promotion? Surely there are better alternatives.
I like the web.py framework he started but some of the decissions made in there have made me scratch my head.
Still, I'd rather do what he is doing, than being a code monkey/H-1B slave, for my current company.