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.
Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi on Wednesday, Vance said the changes aim to ensure fairness for domestic workers and preserve the programme’s original purpose of retaining exceptional global talent.
“Legal immigration is complicated because we let in about a million legal immigrants into the United States of America every single year. And the evidence is pretty clear that a lot of those immigrants are actually undercutting the wages of American workers,” Vance said.
“It’s one of the reasons why the President of the United States and a lot of us in the administration have encouraged H-1B reform,” he added.
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ALSO READ: Big hit for H-1B spouses as US ends automatic extensions of employment authorization documents
According to the US State Department, the higher fee applies to new petitions and entries in the 2026 H-1B lottery, while current visa holders and previously submitted petitions remain unaffected.
Explaining the intent behind the visa, Vance said it was meant for “super geniuses” educated in the United States who can contribute to innovation and competitiveness.
ALSO READ: Florida universities to stop hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas
“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 citizen,” he said.
The Vice President’s comments reflect the administration’s broader stance on limiting both legal and illegal immigration while reshaping visa programmes to prioritise American workers.
During the event, Vance also answered a personal question about his interfaith family, saying, “Yeah, I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way. But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”
Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi on Wednesday, Vance said the changes aim to ensure fairness for domestic workers and preserve the programme’s original purpose of retaining exceptional global talent.
“Legal immigration is complicated because we let in about a million legal immigrants into the United States of America every single year. And the evidence is pretty clear that a lot of those immigrants are actually undercutting the wages of American workers,” Vance said.
“It’s one of the reasons why the President of the United States and a lot of us in the administration have encouraged H-1B reform,” he added.
(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)
ALSO READ: Big hit for H-1B spouses as US ends automatic extensions of employment authorization documents
Push for higher visa fee and restricted entry
The remarks come amid growing debate over President Donald Trump’s proclamation to reform the H-1B system. The new directive introduces a US $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, a sharp increase from the previous fee of about US $1,500.According to the US State Department, the higher fee applies to new petitions and entries in the 2026 H-1B lottery, while current visa holders and previously submitted petitions remain unaffected.
Explaining the intent behind the visa, Vance said it was meant for “super geniuses” educated in the United States who can contribute to innovation and competitiveness.
ALSO READ: Florida universities to stop hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas
“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 citizen,” he said.
Broader immigration cuts in focus
Vance said the administration’s goal was to lower overall immigration levels, citing pressure on domestic employment and social systems. “There are people who want to come to the United States of America, and some of them I'm sure can enrich the United States of America by coming here, but we have got to get our overall numbers way down. Too many people have come into the United States of America,” he said.The Vice President’s comments reflect the administration’s broader stance on limiting both legal and illegal immigration while reshaping visa programmes to prioritise American workers.
During the event, Vance also answered a personal question about his interfaith family, saying, “Yeah, I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way. But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”
