Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Aug 30: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has ramped up scrutiny of the H-1B visa program, urging citizens and workers to report incidents where American jobseekers may have been unfairly sidelined in favour of foreign visa holders.
Leading the charge is India-born Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, who was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump late last year. Dhillon confirmed on Thursday that “several” investigations into H-1B hiring practices are already underway, with action taken against certain employers. She called on the public to share any leads through the department’s hotline.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers in specialized fields such as IT, engineering, and science. It is capped at 85,000 new visas annually. While it has long served as a pipeline for global talent—especially from India—critics argue the program is being misused by outsourcing firms to suppress wages and displace domestic workers.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick intensified the criticism this week, describing the system as a “scam” in a Fox News interview and stating he was “involved in changing” it. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed those concerns, referring to the program as a “cottage industry” that undermines American workers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has proposed shifting the visa selection from the current lottery-based system to a weighted process, aimed at improving fairness and transparency.
Indian professionals remain the largest group of H-1B beneficiaries, comprising more than 70 per cent of approvals annually, largely due to a combination of a skilled workforce and visa processing backlogs.
In a related development, the Trump administration has also introduced new plans to tighten visa rules for international students, including a proposed four-year cap on student stays. With more than 330,000 Indian students in the US in 2024—making them the largest international student group—these changes could have significant implications for India-US educational ties.