[ido]

    If you think the privilege of an H1B is 
    "indentured servitude", it seems that 
    immigration is not for you.

Funny that you say that, I have been an immigrant for almost 7 years now in the European Union (where it's significantly easier than in the US).

I am educated, healthy, young, have no criminal record and as a programmer I earn a significantly higher than average salary (and therefor pay significantly higher than average taxes).

I can say with a straight face that probably any country I choose to live in will benefit from me being there, so why would you want to keep skilled people like me out?

[freshfunk]

Do they? Just the other day I met an entrepreneur who was not American (either Canadian or European) who's able to work here on a "extraordinary ability" visa. He wasn't under an H1B and he's starting his own company.

My original point is that H1B is not a right, it's a privilege. Even though you're awesome (by your own account), I fail to see why you're owed anything.

[ido]

I'm not owed anything, I'm arguing that it's in the country's interest to attract skilled labor (which many other western countries like Australia, Canada & New Zealand do with their vastly easier immigration policies).