If there is a no-hire gentleman's agreement I very much doubt that female and/or non-white engineers are excepted from it. And by all appearances H1B workers have things worse, partly because the government actively participates in making it harder for them to switch employer.
yes, we do have it worse. much worse. I have heard many times "sorry no h-1bs, we don't do sponsoring etc". The other thing that is upseting, is that i can't just quit my job and work on my own thing for few months at get something started.
By definition I am intenured servitor.
And it affects my mobility a lot, and my maximal output.
BTW, I am not underpaid, i am actually paid well, but I probably could do better. There is a tacit knowledge that as an H-1B you can't ask too much money, as the company that is hiring you, will have to spend money on lawyers and paperwork and other government bs to keep you here.
(and not all H-1Bs somebody just landed from india/china with a thick accent. Some of us are very high skilled and well integrated in society. I have been in this country for 11 years (finished high school and college), yet i am not that close to green card).
Frustrating, and it hampers mobility and economic output of an individual, and also the more junior/average american dev who wants to move up skillset wise.
