Siu-Ming Tartakovsky (Porter)

I don’t think higher fees will solve anything. If anything, they punish smaller companies more than large outsourcing firms. Big players in the outsourcing industry can afford these fees easily, while startups or smaller U.S. employers struggle. What’s really needed is a complete redesign of the selection process. Instead of random lotteries, the U.S. should evaluate applications based on skill shortages, salary levels, and industry needs. That way, outsourcing firms won’t dominate the system simply by volume. So yes, there’s a much deeper structural problem here. Higher fees won’t fix it; smarter policies will.

In my opinion, stricter regulations are necessary but not sufficient. Outsourcing firms often flood the system with applications, sometimes even misusing loopholes. This practice clogs up the lottery and leaves genuine employers with fewer chances to hire needed talent. Higher fees might discourage some abuse, but large outsourcing firms with big budgets will still be able to pay. The deeper issue is structural. The system doesn’t differentiate between legitimate employers and those gaming the system. To fix it, the U.S. should implement reforms like: - Prioritizing employers who directly hire talent rather than subcontract. - Limiting the number of applications per employer. - Ensuring wages match market rates. Without addressing these structural issues, higher fees or regulations will only act as temporary band-aids.