Senator Schumer probably doesn't realize the huge incentive he is helping create to boost outsourcing to Mexico.
In its Haste to Gouge India, Congress Neglects to Consider the TN Visa
By Kirk Laughlin
In what could be one of the most extraordinary examples of the self-defeating consequences of slapdash, politically inspired protectionism, the new Congressional border bill which partly takes aim at Indian outsourcers is likely to trigger a nearshoring bonanza – with Mexico poised to become a major beneficiary. But wait, isn’t Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who is a key sponsor of the bill, going to protect U.S. jobs? Actually no and we’ll explain why.
Taking Aim
First, let’s take a look at the bill itself which is designed to strengthen the Southwest U.S. border by hiring more law enforcement and deploying more high-tech tools to monitor illegal immigration. In order to fund the $600 million project, Schumer and co-sponsor Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) are taking aim at companies like Wipro, TCS and Infosys which depend on non-immigrant “H1B” visas to transfer highly skilled workers from countries like India to come to work in the U.S. The bill would raise the visa processing fee by $2,000 per visa, a huge hike which has been called “discriminatory” by leaders from the India outsourcing industry.
The issue gets very interesting however when you take a step back to realize that Congress has basically exempted the TN Visa (borne from NAFTA) from falling under the new levy, effectively emboldening the pursuit of highly skilled nearshore labor to supplant those inflicted with the onshore visa surcharge. The non-immigrant TN Visa enables Mexican nationals to transit without hassle in and out of the U.S. In addition to its close proximity to the U.S., the TN Visa stands out as one of the most compelling attractions of nearshoring to Mexico, and continues to be one an important value-enabler for companies like TCS, Infosys, Dell, HP and Accenture among others.
An interesting side note: Infosys – which was directly embroiled in the Schumer bill controversy when Schumer referred to Infosys as a “chop shop” – recently told us that Mexico has a bright future for the firm. It appears the firm now has every reason to further expand operations in Mexico, given that it would effectively be penalized by bringing more workers onshore.
The NAFTA Professional TN visa has no cap, is good for three years and can be extended
Unlike the H1 visa which reaches a cap sometime during the year and restricts further visits during that year or the L1 which requires sometimes complicated justification of domain expertise, the TN visa enables the free flow of employees to and from the US. The NAFTA Professional TN visa has no cap, is good for three years and can be extended.
The other consequence from the Schumer Bill (which was received congressional approval today) is that Indian outsourcers may think twice about bringing Indian nationals into the U.S., which may result in the U.S. collecting far less that the $200-$250 million it is projecting to fund the border programs.
Finally, it is the U.S. companies themselves – who are battling to compete in a fiercely competitive global economy – who really hold the cards. The Schumer bill does nothing to inspire long-term strategies to compel U.S. companies to keep jobs in the U.S. What it does do is pass along an increase to their operating costs in an assortment of mostly back-office, non-strategic functions – from application maintenance to business processing activities.
Of course economic reality will trump the politically charged motivations of the bill – which conveniently is being pushed through Congress to maximize the impact during the Fall election season. And economic reality will be the driving force behind what is likely to become a huge boost for Nearshore outsourcing – and classically what Schumer had least hoped for.
While reading the article, I was left with the feeling that open markets should avoid restrictions. That includes visas, and keeping H1B as open as possible (a desirable state).
On the other hand, Mexico is an important partner for the US. As its third largest trading partner (after China and Canada), Mexico imported goods and services from the US valued at $77B (year to date) compared to the $9.2B India bought from the US in the same period. But thinking about services, Mexico exports less than $1B, compared to the services and BPO exports from India which are 50 times the Mexican volume.
Regarding the border security efforts, if the bill passes, it will provide opportunities in Mexico which, in turn, will lessen the pressure to cross the border in look for opportunities. This goes in line with the effort to secure the border, and has a positive net effect as well, an effect that Schumer might see as positive.
I love it. I've always believed that when a US company decides to seek cheaper labor cost, it should first look to its neighbors rather than some country on the other side of the world. Mexico is a bit more expensive than India/China/Ukraine… but it's right next door. I don't think Schumar's bill haphazardly helps Mexico… I believe it was fully intended. The truth is that the healthier Mexico becomes the more secure our borders become. In the long run, shifting the job advantage away from Asia and toward LatAm only helps the US.
Great insights Mike. One could almost go as far as to say the U.S. is giving some favorable treatment to Mexico, as compared to other Latin America countries, largely because of the border issues and the tight trade bond the U.S. has with Mexico. In other words, Mexico has a major opportunity here to take the ball and run with it!
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While reading the article, I was left with the feeling that open markets should avoid restrictions. That includes visas, and keeping H1B as open as possible (a desirable state).
On the other hand, Mexico is an important partner for the US. As its third largest trading partner (after China and Canada), Mexico imported goods and services from the US valued at $77B (year to date) compared to the $9.2B India bought from the US in the same period. But thinking about services, Mexico exports less than $1B, compared to the services and BPO exports from India which are 50 times the Mexican volume.
Regarding the border security efforts, if the bill passes, it will provide opportunities in Mexico which, in turn, will lessen the pressure to cross the border in look for opportunities. This goes in line with the effort to secure the border, and has a positive net effect as well, an effect that Schumer might see as positive.
I love it. I've always believed that when a US company decides to seek cheaper labor cost, it should first look to its neighbors rather than some country on the other side of the world. Mexico is a bit more expensive than India/China/Ukraine… but it's right next door. I don't think Schumar's bill haphazardly helps Mexico… I believe it was fully intended. The truth is that the healthier Mexico becomes the more secure our borders become. In the long run, shifting the job advantage away from Asia and toward LatAm only helps the US.
Great insights Mike. One could almost go as far as to say the U.S. is giving some favorable treatment to Mexico, as compared to other Latin America countries, largely because of the border issues and the tight trade bond the U.S. has with Mexico. In other words, Mexico has a major opportunity here to take the ball and run with it!