Free Republic

When the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Project Firewall on September 19, media coverage focused on the press release—a pledge to “protect American jobs” by cracking down on H-1B visa abuse. A month later, the program’s impact is already being felt—not through formal prosecutions, but through the quiet compliance panic spreading across U.S. companies that depend on high-skilled foreign talent. Newsweek spoke to legal experts, immigration attorneys and Department of Labor officials who described how Project Firewall is already reshaping corporate compliance, legal strategy and the balance between enforcement and innovation in America’s high-skilled visa system. Why It Matters...

US Vice President JD Vance has defended the Trump administration’s decision to overhaul the H-1B visa programme, saying it is being misused to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. -snip- “If you look at the H-1B visa, what it’s supposed to be is that you have a super genius who’s studying at an American university and who’s working at a great company. You want that super genius to stay in the United States of America and not go somewhere else. What it’s actually used to do is hire an accountant at a 50 per cent discount for an American...

The US Department of Homeland Security has announced an interim rule to stop the automatic extension of Employment Authorisation Documents (EAD) of migrant workers, a move that is likely to impact thousands of foreign employees, including Indians who make up a large portion of the expat workforce. In a statement on Wednesday, the Department said "Aliens who file to renew their EAD on or after Oct. 30, 2025 (Thursday), will no longer receive an automatic extension of their EAD." This means, EADs automatically extended before October 30 won't be affected. With the new rule, there will be more "vetting and...

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis bans H-1B visas at state universities, ordering institutions to hire Americans instead of foreign workers, citing visa abuse and prioritising local graduates for taxpayer-funded jobs. In a bombshell directive shaking up higher education, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced that state universities will no longer be allowed to hire foreign workers on H-1B visas, ordering institutions to prioritise American citizens and Florida residents for all university positions. “Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job,” DeSantis declared. “We will...

As the Trump administration makes moves to change the H-1B visa program to benefit American-born workers, Skillstorm CEO Justin Vianello backed those efforts in an interview with Fox News Digital while offering his expertise on other issues that need to be addressed with work visas. Vianello told Fox News Digital that one of the "biggest challenges" with the current H1B system is the "impact" on college hiring, particularly with computer science and computer engineering graduates. Vianello explained that the unemployment rate for college graduates with those degrees is significantly higher than the average for all college graduates -snip- Vianello went...

US entrepreneur and former Dogecoin adviser James Fishback has called for a complete halt on hiring skilled workers from India and other countries, saying American companies should focus on local talent instead. Fishback, who leads the investment firm Azoria and has previously worked with Elon Musk, said in a post on X that major technology companies are giving jobs to people from India and China while qualified Americans struggle to find opportunities. US companies “not looking for Americans” “Here’s the ugly truth: they’re not even looking for Americans. They refuse to interview them. They hide job postings in obscure newspapers...

Like many Americans, James Fishback, the CEO of investment firm Azoria, appears to be highly critical of the H-1B visa because he feels that foreign workers are stealing American jobs. -snip- Fishback, the initial developer of the “DOGE checks” tool, has been publicly denouncing the H-1B program in interviews ever since US President Donald Trump slapped $100k fees on H-1B visas. He has lambasted businesses for employing Indians, especially when they claim they “can't find Americans for these jobs” and are forced to use H-1B visas. Targeting H1-B Visa, Fishback took to X and wrote: “The H-1B scam is hurting...

Hindu American Foundation has taken to social media to share online posts backing anti-Hindu narrative under the guise of H1-B visa criticism. The recent debate has begun after Diwali celebration, which many in the US opposed calling it a result of immigration base that the country maintains. Sharing a few such posts, the Foundation said that so-called H-1B criticism is turning into “online Hinduphobia”. “H1-B criticism morphed into online Hinduphobia and anti-Indian racism. Then city council members and political candidates began calling for mass deportations,” it said. The Foundation added that masked men are now “loitering on sidewalks calling Hindu...

The White House has thrown its weight behind Donald Trump’s controversial decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, saying the move is intended to protect American workers and curb “fraud” in the system. In a media briefing on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration stood firmly by the president’s policy. “The administration will fight these lawsuits in court. The president's main priority has always been to put American workers first and to strengthen our visa system. For far too long, the H-1B visa system has been spammed with fraud, and that's driven down American wages,” said...

The Donald Trump administration said on Thursday it will fight all lawsuits filed against H-1B visa policy, saying that the move is intended to protect American workers and restore integrity to the system. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the administration stands firm on its newly implemented measures, including the contentious $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa applications. The announcement comes after the US Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the fee hike. "The administration will fight these lawsuits in court. The president’s main priority has always been to put American workers first...

Seven US lawmakers, including both Democrats and Republicans, have written to President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, urging them to withdraw the $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. They warned that the recent changes could harm the country’s innovation-driven economy and weaken its global competitiveness. In a joint statement, they said that while the H-1B visa system needs reform to better align with American values and workforce needs, the new rules — particularly the $100,000 annual fee — will make it difficult for many employers to hire and retain skilled foreign workers. The letter was signed by Suhas Subramanyam,...

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has urged President Donald Trump to reconsider a newly imposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, warning that the policy could harm American innovation and competitiveness. In a letter sent to the White House and the Department of Commerce on October 21, seven members of Congress, including both Democrats and Republicans, expressed concern that the fee would disproportionately affect early-stage employers and small companies, particularly those that have not yet become profitable. -snip- The letter sent to the President was signed by Representatives Sam Liccardo of California, Jay Obernolte of California, Maria Elvira...

Amid US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Indian government is currently working on a new scheme focused on bringing back Indian-origin “star faculty” and researchers currently based abroad, according to The Indian Express. The move will not only bring the top scholars back to India, but also offer them positions in top research institutions and thus promote long-term collaboration to improve the country’s science and technology ecosystem.

Walmart paused corporate job offers to candidates that require H-1B visas to work in the U.S., Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the change, as the Trump administration’s planned policy requiring companies to pay $100,000 fees for new applicants requiring the visas begins to impact American businesses.

The USCIS issued more details this week about the implementation of Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. The fee would primarily apply only to applications for new beneficiaries who are currently outside the United States. The fee is facing at least one major legal challenge by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. More details and clarifications were given this week from US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Here are some of the main points given by the agency: H-1B petitions filed on or after Sept. 21, 2025, for beneficiaries who are outside the United States and do not have a valid H-1B...

In what could be a big relief for existing US visa holders, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified in a fresh guideline Monday that existing visa holders will not have to pay the newly announced $100,000 fee for a "change of status" to H-1B visa. The new USCIS guidelines said existing visa holders, which include international students on F-1 visas and professionals on L-1 visas, will not have to pay $100,000 when they apply for a change of status to H-1B. Existing H-1B visa holders are also exempted from this fee while renewing their H-1B status, the...

The Trump administration has revealed how H-1B applicants can pay the new $100,000 fee, and who is exempt from paying it, a month after the president announced the change. In an update Monday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) directed applicants to a payment portal, telling them they could only apply with a receipt showing the new fee had been submitted to the government. The agency also said some applicants, like student visa holders, may be exempt from the fee. -snip- Other exemptions will be granted by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in “extraordinarily rare circumstances,” USCIS said, including...

Major employers that historically have hired large numbers of H-1B employees have begun disqualifying job seekers who require H-1B visa sponsorship since President Donald Trump used his executive power to impose a new $100,000 fee on applications for the work visa. Silicon Valley and tech leaders have been split over the policy, with some arguing the fee would hurt innovation as many startups won’t be able to hire top talent and others saying they are willing to pay it to get the best workers. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the fee is meant to encourage companies to turn to American...

After California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently made Diwali a state holiday, Sacramento Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes said local leaders and community members had a request: “Can we please do a resolution at City Council?” Talamantes said. “This is historic, this is huge.” On Tuesday, she, Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmember Mai Vang, will do just that to honor the religious celebration. “It’s such a big celebration of culture, diversity,” Talamantes said. The holiday is a major event in India, particularly for followers of Hinduism and Sikhism, and is marked by candle and lamp lighting to symbolize light over...

California is adding a new holiday to its calendar. On Monday, Oct. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 268 into law, making California the third state to designate Diwali — the Hindu festival of lights — as an official statewide holiday. “Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains throughout the United States and across the globe,” the bill says. Also known as Deepavali, Diwali is “one of the most sacred festivals in Hindu Dharma traditions” celebrated by “more than a billion people around the...