Proposed Changes to the U.S. Work Visa Program Could Wreak Havoc on Application Quality

The U.S. Administration’s proposal to overhaul the H-1B work visa program is causing quite a shakeup in the technology sector. Today, the popular program is used to temporarily bring tens of thousands of highly skilled foreign tech workers into the U.S. – mostly to fill engineering positions at the fast-growing Silicon Valley firms. Many successful companies in the U.S. – from technology giants to new startups - have gotten to rely on a steady supply of tech talent from around the globe.

U.S. government’s concern about the distribution of H-1B visas is nothing new – over the years, both Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly disparaged existing policies, citing unfair treatment and wage violations for foreign workers. Yet, the most recent call to transform the way the U.S. admits temporary foreign workers can potentially cause a widespread shortage of skilled labor, sending shockwaves throughout the tech industry.

Many companies depend heavily on H-1B visa holders to perform testing tasks. Modern testing tools often require advanced programming skills in order to create repeatable and maintainable automated testing scripts. And while skilled domestic developers typically shun testing jobs, equally qualified and experienced foreign workers are often happy to accept QA positions when they offer a chance to work in the U.S. under a temporary permit.

What would happen to application QA and Testing if a reliable stream of international workers had suddenly dried up? While we don’t know exactly how the current Administration’s changes will affect technology companies in the long-term, it is wise to start preparing for the possibility that someday, possibly soon, we might need to find creative alternatives to relying on programmers to build and maintain testing assets.

Consider the cloud. Cloud-based test automation tools can support a flexible model of outsourcing and insourcing of testing - as needed. If companies find themselves short of qualified labor domestically, and are unable to recruit from overseas, they can seamlessly transition their test automation tasks to offshore testing teams and service providers.

Rethink test scripts. Most of the existing test automation tools require extensive technical skills and knowledge. They are often marketed to the non-technical user, but to create truly versatile and lasting testing assets that can be reused from one application release to the next, they demand serious programming skills. A sensible alternative is to invest in the new generation of test automation tools that are specifically designed to be successfully used by a business user and a non-technical QA tester.

Jamo Automator is one such solution – it is a cloud-based, easy-to-use and easy-to-scale test automation tool that allows you to automate mobile test creation and management without the use of programming. Anyone who can navigate an application can build and run tests – no scripting required. Jamo Automator also features a central repository, which can be used for sharing information and assets between team members – whether they are co-located or distributed across continents and time zones. Anyone involved in the quality effort can have access to QA assets and visibility into the testing process and progress – anytime, anywhere.

With many recent changes shaking up both the political and business worlds, it’s never too early to start preparing for what might lie ahead. Investing in test automation tools such as Jamo Automator can help your company weather changes and get ahead. Please visit …. to get more information about Jamo Automator.