New York/Washington, Aug 28 (PTI) — The Trump administration is contemplating changes to the highly sought-after H1B visa program, a critical pathway for Indian IT professionals, alongside revisions to the Green Card process, according to U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick.
"I'm involved in changing the H1B programme. We're going to change that programme, because that's terrible," Lutnick remarked during a Tuesday interview on Fox News.
He further stated that there are plans to reform the Green Card process, which grants permanent U.S. residency.
"You know, we give green cards. The average American makes USD 75,000 a year, and the average green card recipient USD 66,000, so we're taking the bottom quartile. Like, why are we doing that? That's why Donald Trump is going to change it. That's the Gold Card that's coming. And we're going to start picking the best people to come into this country. It's time for that to change," he elaborated.
Indian nationals are the primary beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, securing a majority of these coveted spots designed to attract global talent. The U.S. issues 65,000 new H-1B visas annually, as mandated by Congress, with an additional 20,000 visas allocated for those who have received higher education in the U.S.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Lutnick stated, "The current H1B visa system is a scam that lets foreign workers fill American job opportunities. Hiring American workers should be the priority of all great American businesses. Now is the time to hire American."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in an interview on Fox News, described the H1B program as a "total scam," asserting that companies exploit the system to lay off Americans while still obtaining new and renewing existing H1Bs.
DeSantis noted that while the U.S. used to attract the "cream of the crop" through the H1B visa, the majority of these visas are issued to nationals from one country—India. He also pointed out the existence of a cottage industry around the H1B process.
He emphasized the current challenges young Americans face in the job market, exacerbated by advancements in AI. "So if that's going to continue to produce dislocations, why would we be importing foreign workers when we have our own people that we need to take care of?" he questioned.
DeSantis criticized the H1B visa's restriction, which binds the worker to one employer, likening it to a form of "indentured servitude" and highlighting instances of its exploitation.
"And I just think the overall message from the time President Trump first ran for office was we're going to put the American people first and I think that he's done that in so many ways like the border, and other things and I think it should apply to these visa programmes as well," he concluded.
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