The debate over America’s skilled foreign worker program intensified this week as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis branded the H-1B visa system a “total scam,” claiming it allows companies to replace American workers with cheaper labour from abroad — particularly from India.
Speaking on Fox News, DeSantis accused firms of exploiting the program by laying off U.S. employees while continuing to hire or renew H-1B workers. “Most of them are from one country, India,” he said, adding that a “cottage industry” has developed around benefiting from the system.
His comments echoed those of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, who a day earlier had also criticized the program, saying it funnels American job opportunities to foreign workers. Lutnik argued that companies should put U.S. citizens first, stressing that wage disparities between Americans and visa holders make reforms urgent.
The Biden administration has already taken steps toward overhauling the visa system. A draft rule would replace the lottery-based allocation with a wage-priority model, granting visas first to higher-earning applicants. If enacted, the change would significantly impact Indian nationals, who have historically received about 70 per cent of all H-1B visas and make up a large share of international students transitioning into the U.S. workforce.
With Washington increasingly tightening rules for both foreign workers and students, millions of Indian professionals in technology, healthcare, and research may soon face higher barriers to entering or remaining in the U.S. job market.