Despite Disney Dust-Up, H-1B Visa Program Rarely Misused!

Kim Thompson was quoted in Law360 on June 8, 2015. The article “Despite Disney Dust-Up, H-1B Visa Program Rarely Misused!” shed light on recent allegations that the Walt Disney Co. replaced a slew of its tech workers with immigrants on H-1B visas.

Kim discussed her take of lower wages in association with H-1B workers.

Kim argued that when her clients hire an H-1B worker, they’re doing so because they need that individual's specific talent and skill set.

“To me, the wage is not the driving force behind the H-1Bs,” Kim said. “In my experience, they're not saying, ‘Oh, let's get an H-1B employee because it's going to be less money.’”

Still, choosing to rely on H-1B workers for consulting services, rather than using in-house employees, could reduce a company’s overhead for workers, like benefits or payroll, Kim said. She emphasized, however, that this practice isn’t limited to employers using foreign labor, but that many companies are leaning on consulting or temp agencies to cut down on worker costs.

To read the full article please visit Law360. [subscription required]