Author

Richard Wyatt

Date of Award

3-3-2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

This study is about current legislation regarding the H-1B visa, which was originally intended to allow businesses in the United States the ability to hire educated, experienced professionals from other countries. It is also pursued by foreign nationals for the benefit of potentially working in the United States for up to six years. However, changes in the labor force and increasing calls for immigration reform necessitate that the impacts of this visa status be studied. For this paper, a small, newly formed subsidiary of a Japanese media business in the emerging technology industry in San Francisco will be surveyed as a case study. Demographic data from public sources and corroborating testimonials from immigration attorneys based in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as electronic surveys administered to prospective, current, and former H-1B holders, were collected, analyzed, and evaluated. Ideally, this paper can be considered as a potential launching point for ideas and discussion as to how the United States can continue to attract skilled labor in a globalized and interconnected world.

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