Here’s why experts think Trump took ‘a sledgehammer’ to the H-1B visa worker program

PBS ^ | 9/30/2025 | Hannah Grabenstein

[marcusmaximus]

-snip-

Many H-1B visas are awarded to foreign graduates of U.S. universities. Visa holders can generally stay in the country for up to three years, with an additional three-year extension, and H-1Bs have the additional benefit of being able to be converted into a green card. That’s a common path foreign professionals use to establish permanent citizenship, Glennon said.

How does Trump want to change the H-1B program?

During the COVID-19 pandemic and near the end of his first term, Trump suspended the H-1B visa program, saying he wanted Americans to be able to find jobs in a fragile labor market. Though he extended the suspension through March 2021, President Joe Biden revoked the order and restored the visa program that February.

-snip-

“It may, I fear, end up shutting down the entire program, because I’m not sure that even stars are worth $100,000,” she said. Companies may worry about paying huge fees for employees who may come for a short time, hate living in the U.S. and then return to their home country. In the worst case scenario, she said, fewer talented workers in the U.S. would “mean less innovation, less patenting, and therefore less economic growth.”

Generally, experts worry that the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa program will throttle the flow of young talent.

“The $100,000 tax by itself would already sharply reduce demand for entry-level employment, because [an] entry-level worker, by definition, you don’t know them well. You haven’t tested them. You don’t have a relationship with them,” Clemens said.

But it might also discourage more experienced and highly sought workers from pursuing opportunities.

“It’s signaling sort of an unwelcoming environment, so that top talent may not be interested in coming to the U.S.,” Glennon said.

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TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: gayforindia; h1b; h1btruth; india; kiryandil; kiryandil4india; kiryandilisawesome; modi; remaininindia; sendincash; sendthemback

[marcusmaximus]

Send them back.

[Lurker]

We have plenty of Americans willing to do these jobs.

Hire them.

L

[Tell It Right]

India has had for years a lot of restrictions to limit American workers from working in India. Boo hoo with Trump putting the shoe on the other foot.

[Sirius Lee]

Add to that, once dots are embedded into management and HR, no American is ever considered for those open positions in America.

[protoconservative]

These companies hire the only reseource that does not constantly want a raise for IT work. The entire world runs on IT work, and american lawyers think that getting it cheap is some sort of birthright.

As someone in IT who has worked with H1Bs for 30+ years, I found most of them are do not have a mindset to do a good job, they have the midset to hide out and do whatever gets them to the next contract renewal. Alot of IT leadership is rocking the boat, telling the CFO it is time to upgrade, people from india do not have the backbone to stand up to “im a lawyer” or “i can fix my router at home” midset that is terminal in the last of the babyboomer CFOs.

[Sequoyah101]

I have been to India a few times. After the first time I never wanted to go back but business compelled me to return.

[Flavious_Maximus]

“...mean less innovation, less patenting...”

That is a stinking lie. The vast majority of H-1B recipients are just grunt programmers, equivalent to laborers mowing your lawn. They most certainly are NOT innovators. It is long past time to end the H1B scam.

[marcusmaximus]

The vast majority of H-1B recipients are just grunt programmers, equivalent to laborers mowing your lawn.

[protoconservative]

They would have a point if any one of the top 10 had any relationship to biomed, med or civil infrastructure engineering.... None do they put in 1M+ applications, take between 80k-100k per year and 96% are IT.

Amazon.com Services LLC
Microsoft Corporation
Meta Platforms Inc
Apple Inc
Google LLC
Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Deloitte Consulting
JPMorgan Chase
Walmart

[sgt_lau]

Can I expect call-support help to no longer have an unintelligible accent? Asking for a friend.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The vast majority of H-1B recipients are just grunt programmers, equivalent to laborers mowing your lawn.

This is exactly true - but it is also the way American CEO's see American-born IT staff, as wildly overpriced laborers offering a commodity service. Getting rid of H-1B's is a good step but it won't eliminate the intense desire to outsource IT to the lowest bidder.

[logi_cal869]

GMAFB

He didn’t ‘kill’ the program, he put a price on taking advantage of the US.

BIG difference.

[Brian Griffin]

The H-1B should not be a foundation for chain immigration.

These people make good money and they can fly back home. They can insist on four-weeks’ vacation minimum.

[albie]

Uh oh. When the “experts” chime in, it’s real trouble!!

[Dr. Sivana]

Can I expect call-support help to no longer have an unintelligible accent?

You are out of luck. Those folks are already off-shore.

[caddie]

US Physician market is flooded with foreigners who come here as residents.

The chronic lie from the Government is that there is a "shortage" of physicians. Total BS.

This H1-B fine I don't think is applied to physicians. Anyone from any country, third world included, can come here and basically stay forever. It's ridiculous.

Meanwhile, it's virtually impossible for an American graduate to practice anywhere but here in the US. Not that you would want to, but the principle is the same.

PS they all of course have Rat political leanings.

[central_va]

Every excuse of these globalist greedy assholes is total BS.

Kill the whole h visa program or set the quotas per year to 10. Then if a few Einsteins are needed we can get them.

[Brian Griffin]

They shouldn't be allowed to do computer programming work. "Learn in 30 Days" Those books were a bit optimistic, but computer language skills can be learned fairly quickly.

[Uncle Miltie]

I think the H1b visa program is abused.

I worked at Microsoft in an Eastgate (Bellevue) office for about 7 years, and watched it turn from the U.N. (Microsoft hires the smartest kid from every village in the world) to an outpost of India exclusively. They could have held meetings in Hindi, and hired translators for the almost non-existent native English speakers.

Which is to establish my bona fides before asking the following question:

What has you so excessively riled up on the H1b issue that you post quite so many articles on the subject?

[central_va]

Actually these are really good jobs that our children who graduate with a STEM degree should not be blocked from getting. These are white collar jobs .