- A proposed $100,000 H-1B fee faces court block.
JD Vance On H1-B Visa: US Vice President JD Vance has said he would support abolishing the H-1B visa programme altogether, arguing that American companies have used the system to replace domestic employees with lower-paid foreign workers. Vance described the programme as “completely broken” and said he would be “very supportive of just eliminating it”. His remarks come as the Trump administration pursues tighter restrictions on H-1B visas and faces legal challenges over a proposed USD 100,000 fee.
Vance’s $60K Example
Vance used the example of an American accountant earning $60,000 a year who is replaced by a foreign worker willing to take the same job for $45,000.
He argued that such an arrangement does not fit the original purpose of the H-1B system, which is intended to help US employers recruit highly skilled workers for specialised roles.
JD Vance said that if you’re going to bring in an accountant making $45,000 a year to replace an accountant who is an American making $60,000 a year, that’s not you using the programme to bring in a genius. That’s you destroying American jobs and defrauding the American people.
The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire foreign nationals for specialised occupations, including jobs in technology, engineering and healthcare. New H-1B visas are generally limited by an annual cap of 85,000, although certain employers and categories are exempt from the limit.
White House Tightens Rules
Vance’s comments come amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to impose tighter controls on the programme.
The White House has argued that H-1B visas should primarily be used to recruit highly skilled professionals rather than as a means for companies to access lower-cost labour.
An executive directive issued on September 18 requires the Departments of State, Labour and Homeland Security to assess whether companies sponsoring H-1B workers have recently conducted, or intend to conduct, layoffs involving comparable American employees.
The directive also calls for the Labour Department to review previously submitted labour-condition applications for potential regulatory violations.
Higher-Paid Jobs Prioritised
The administration has also introduced a tiered selection system that gives greater priority to higher-paying positions.
The changes are aimed at shifting the programme towards what the administration describes as its intended purpose of bringing specialised talent into the US workforce.
Vance, however, suggested that regulatory changes alone may not address what he considers fundamental problems with the programme.
Vance said: “My view is the H-1B programme is completely broken, and I’d be very supportive of just eliminating it,” he said. “But while we have it, what we have to do is protect American workers.”
$100K Fee Faces Court Test
The debate over H-1B visas is also unfolding alongside legal challenges to the administration’s proposed USD 100,000 fee.
On October 1, a federal magistrate blocked the fee after finding that the administration had not followed the administrative rulemaking procedures required before introducing the charge.
The decision follows an earlier court injunction issued during the year, adding another legal hurdle for the administration’s effort to increase the cost associated with the visa programme.
The latest developments leave the future of the H-1B system tied to both the administration’s immigration policy and ongoing court proceedings, while Vance’s remarks have brought the possibility of abolishing the programme itself into the debate.
