I think it is interesting that some job seekers are specifically being asked NOT to apply if they are from a non-US background. Backlash from job spamming, unable to assess training and background of candidates, or keep jobs local?
Read the post here
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More economics than anything else
I think is more about economics than anything else. Since the return to the number of H1B visas issued out, it is becoming harder for US based to sponsor foreign gradautes. Also there has been an increase in the number of new bioinformatics graduates from US colleges, who beacuse of the stiff competition are now likely to demand less in salaries than what we saw in the late nineties.
Having said that, we have developed a jobs aggregator called Biohealthmatics.com for bioinformatics jobs based in the US and UK, we receive far more correspondence from graduates in India than we do from either countries.
Spam
I think it's probably a combo, mostly of the first two points you make. I suspect that there is a problem in the focus of education in different countries, particularly in bioinformatics. Some systems tend to produce graduates who are familiar with the web-based tools around, for instance, but not necessarily with the underlying code/principles.
There's also the problem of sponsoring someone for a visa, a not inconsiderable barrier of entry for non-US nationals.
agreed
You see a fair few US jobs for US citizens only - probably is mainly a visa expense issue. Though they're pretty adamant about it in this post and singling out the upper-case INDIA certainly suggests they're had their share of "dear esteemed mr doctor neil" emails...
Sounds more like racism to me
That specific wording sounds more like racism to me... a few years ago it would have read: blacks(insert the n-word)/Jews/Poles/Hispanics need not apply.
it is unusual and wrong
It is certainly strange to see a country singled out by name in this way. I suspect it's also illegal.