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JD Vance Calls H-1B Visa Program "Completely Broken," Backs Elimination
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CNBC TV18•02-10-2026, 21:04
JD Vance Calls H-1B Visa Program "Completely Broken," Backs Elimination
- •JD Vance stated the H-1B visa program is "completely broken" and expressed support for its elimination, arguing it's used to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign employees.
- •Vance distinguished between bringing highly skilled professionals and using H-1B visas to reduce labor costs, citing an example of an accountant earning $45,000 replacing an American earning $60,000.
- •He asserted that employers should not use H-1B visas simply to hire cheaper workers when an American employee can perform the same job, extending this concern beyond the technology sector to accounting firms.
- •Vance defended the Trump administration's $100,000 payment requirement for certain H-1B petitions, viewing it as a deterrent for employers seeking to replace US workers with lower-paid foreign employees.
- •His remarks align with the Trump administration's broader efforts to tighten scrutiny of H-1B hiring, including a recent executive order to consider layoffs of American workers when reviewing applications.
Key Questions Answered
US Vice President JD Vance described the H-1B visa programme as completely broken and stated that he would support eliminating it entirely, arguing that businesses have misused the system to substitute American employees with lower-paid foreign workers.
A federal judge blocked the $100,000 fee on October 1 after finding that federal agencies failed to follow the required rule-making procedures when implementing the measure.
The September 18 executive order directed federal departments to consider whether H-1B applicants had recently laid off or planned to lay off similarly placed American workers, and called for a review of previously filed labour-condition applications
