Vivek Ramaswamy is calling for major reforms to the H-1B visa program, sparking heated debate within the Republican Party and among supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Trump’s drive for change aligns him with tech leaders like Elon Musk, but puts him at odds with MAGA loyalists who argue that even high-skilled immigration threatens American jobs.
How does the H-1B help skilled immigrants?
The H-1B visa program, designed to allow U.S. employers to bring in foreign professionals with specialized skills, has been a point of contention for years. While it provides critical support to industries such as technology, critics claim the system displaces American workers, depresses wages, and exploits foreign labor.
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The American Immigration Council noted that the median salary for H-1B workers in 2021 was $108,000, significantly higher than the median American worker salary of $45,760, highlighting its appeal for skilled professionals.
Ramaswamy calls for comprehensive merit reform in H-1B
Ramaswamy expressed strong disapproval of the current H-1B framework, calling it “bad for everyone involved.” He believes the program’s lottery-based selection process should be replaced with a merit-based system. “Yes, I have long said that the current H-1B system is deeply broken and should be destroyed. It should not use a lottery, it should be based on pure merit. It should not tie workers to just one company,” he said. “The same principles I stand for.” today”.
The program’s tendency to tie workers to a single sponsoring employer amounts to “indentured servitude.” To address this problem, the biotech entrepreneur is calling for reforms that prioritize true meritocracy and allow greater mobility for skilled workers within the U.S. labor market. Additionally, he supports ending chain migration, arguing that family members should not automatically receive the same immigration status as highly skilled immigrants.
Read also| Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy aim to put an end to this “ineffective” American practice.
Interestingly, while leading his company Roivant Sciences, Ramaswamy employed many skilled foreign workers through the programme.
