[john_b]

I have a number of Iranian friends who are now finishing up their PhDs. Having a hostile and suspicious government to go back to adds a qualitatively different level of stress to the process. With CISPA/SOPA and all the concern over the gradual decline in American freedoms, it's easy to forget that the US is still a comparatively free country. Here, my friends can openly criticize the President or any other member of government all they want without fear of consequences; doing so back home would lead to a different outcome.

Another sad aspect of the whole H1B situation is that, even if they aren't put through abuse at work, these are extremely talented people who often settle for jobs that are more suitable for a bachelors or masters degree holder because they have only a short time to find a large company willing to pay for the H1B, which greatly limits their options. The nature of work available to them is also more restricted. Want to work on military aircraft or certain navigation systems? Too bad.

I have none of these obstacles, not because I am more capable, trustworthy, or loyal, but merely because I was born in the US.