WASHINGTON, D.C.: Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, says that the Trump administration is going ahead with plans to make big changes to the H1B visa program and the Green Card process. Lutnick said in a statement on Tuesday that the reforms are meant to put American workers first and bring in “the best people” from all over the world.
Changes to the H1B and Green Card programs
Lutnick told Fox News that the existing H1B visa policy is “terrible” and a “scam.” He said that the system lets foreign workers take positions that should go to Americans. He said this again on social media, saying, “All great American businesses should make hiring American workers their top priority.” It’s time to hire Americans now.
Lutnick also said that the government plans to change the Green Card procedure, which gives people permanent status. He said the adjustment was necessary since there is a big difference in income between Americans and Green Card holders. The average American makes $75,000 a year, while the average Green Card holder makes $66,000. He said that this difference shows that the U.S. is “taking the bottom quartile” and that the new “Gold Card” system will be made to draw in highly trained workers.
Indian IT workers, who are the main beneficiaries of the H1B visa program, are especially worried about the planned modifications. The U.S. gives out 65,000 H1B visas per year, as required by Congress. There are also 20,000 more for people with advanced degrees from U.S. universities.
Political Allies Agree with Concerns
Other important political players, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who recently appeared on Fox News and labeled the H1B visa program a “total scam,” support the administration’s position. DeSantis said that firms are cheating the system by firing American workers while getting new H1B visas at the same time. He also questioned the idea that the program brings in the “best of the best,” saying that most H1B visas come from India.
DeSantis went on to explain that the visas are a “form of indenture servitude” since they only let a foreign worker work for one company, which he says has happened many times. Lutnick and DeSantis both said that the adjustments were part of the “American people first” message that has been at the heart of the Trump administration’s mission.