US Vice President JD Vance flagged concerns about fraud in the H-1B visa system, but also acknowledged the contributions of immigrants “who have come and enriched the country.” He went on to say that the system works best when beneficiaries prioritize American identity and national interests.
Vance says, “… On the one hand, there is a lot of fraud in the H1-B system, and on the other hand, there are people who have come and enriched the country, like my in-laws… One of the responsibilities of such citizens is to think of the country and not the country or group they came from… The system only works when everyone thinks of themselves as Americans…”
The H-1B visa is used by a large number of Indian professionals to live and work in the US. The Trump administration has stepped up its crackdown on immigration, both legal and illegal, and imposed new and severe restrictions on visas like the H-1B.
Calling abuse of the H-1B program a threat to national security, Trump last year signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, a move that sparked widespread panic, confusion and concern among Indian professionals.
The statement said more than 80% of H-1B visa recipients are Indian or Chinese nationals, with preference given to younger workers.
Citing examples of how H-1Bs have “disadvantaged” American workers, he said the visa program has prevented more than 10,000 US doctors from accessing residency programs by facilitating the arrival of more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors.
It also said that more than 16,000 Microsoft employees were laid off after more than 9,000 H-1B visas were approved in 2025. It added that FedEx’s use of H-1Bs led to the closure of more than 100 facilities across the United States.
Disney laid off 250 employees in 2015, only to replace them with foreign workers brought in through the H-1B visa.
In 2014, Edison laid off 540 workers in Southern California. Their replacements were brought in from two Indian outsourcing firms that used the H-1B visa program.
Since December 15 of last year, the State Department has also begun enhanced screening and vetting of the H-1B and its dependent H-4 visas, checking applicants’ social media profiles.
(With input from agencies)
