[bonobo3000]

I think this is a great idea, let the H1B prices be freely controlled by market, and let companies buy/sell H1Bs among themselves.

People have mentioned that this makes things more expensive for companies. This is true, but i wish someone would take the side of the immigrants (there are only a few of us, and we can't vote!). Companies oppose this because its more expensive, and politicians oppose it because its "taking jobs away from Americans" and anyways immigrants on H1B can't vote. Of course, if we don't like it we should just "go back home", even if we have been here for years, have houses, spouses, jobs and friends here and don't have roots back home anymore. Immigrants have to put up with a lot of crap:

- a very short deadline to find a job if you are unemployed on H1B. Technically 0 days! - its only an unofficial grace period at the mercy of the whims of an immigration officer. meaning constant uncertainty and scrambling to find a job ASAP lest the immigration gods smite you down.

- ridiculously long wait times for green cards. in some cases 10+ years.

- unable to move companies while in the green card process. if you do, you go right back to the end of the line. many companies know and abuse this. during this time, you are pretty much a slave to the company - think about it, if you don't ultimately have a choice to switch companies without throwing away years of waiting, you have no means of recourse when they treat you poorly.