Skilled guestworker salay impact

If the highly skilled guestworker only stayed in the country for one year -- we would have the following yearly impact.

Year __ Guestworker Median compensation __ Guestworker Impact per yr.
2000 __ $52,000.00 __ $9,789,156,000.00
2001 __ $55,000.00 __ $12,156,485,000.00
2002 __ $53,200.00 __ $9,367,083,600.00
2003 __ $52,000.00 __ $8,550,932,000.00
2004 __ $53,000.00 __ $10,688,245,000.00
2005 __ $55,000.00 __ $10,425,635,000.00
2006 __ Not available

(* Known median compensation of H-1Bs assumed to be fair market value)

The problem is that H-1B and L-1 visas are not single year visas, they mature at five, six and seven years. Once the system is full of six year (avg. H-1B, L-1A, L-1B visas) the wage hole in the domestic economy is potentially $60,977,536,600.00 ongoing per year.

$61 Billion, per year in wages that are not available to Americans.

A Duke study indicates that 500,000 guestworkers who have applied for Employment based greencards -- in their 7th, 8th and 9th year of H-1B status more than likely offset any early guestworker repatriation. These 500,000 extensions amount to 34% of all (2000 - 2005) H-1B and L-1 visa issued, extending the wage impact beyond six years.

By the end of fiscal 2006, half a million foreign nationals living in the U.S. were waiting for employment-based green cards, according to the study, released by the nonprofit Kauffman Foundation. Titled "Intellectual Property, the Immigration Backlog, and a Reverse Brain-Drain," the study was based on research by Duke, Harvard and New York University. If spouses and children are included, the number exceeds 1 million. http://www.techcareers.com/content/article.asp?articleID=201802911&affiliate=iwk

Furthermore, the H-1B, Initial employment to Continuing employment approval rate was 99.8% (2000-2005.)

Year __ H-1B visa issued __ L-1 visas issued
2000 __ 133,290 __ 54,963
2001 __ 161,643 __ 59,384
2002 __ 118,352 __ 57,721
2003 __ 107,196 __ 57,245
2004 __ 138,965 __ 62,700
2005 __ 124,099 __ 65,458
2006 __ 135,421 __ 72,613
(travel.state.gov)

Median-wage data from DHS-USCIS: "Characteristics of SpecialtyOccupation Workers (H-1B)" publications