Vice president JD Vance said the Trump administration is cracking down on companies that misuse US work visa programs to undercut American workers, following the launch of a federal investigation into suspected fraud involving the H-1B and PERM employment visa systems.
Speaking on Wednesday (8), Vance said the H-1B program was originally intended to allow highly skilled professionals, including scientists, doctors and technology specialists, to work legally in the United States.
"But you know what's happening way too much is that big corporations and fraudsters overseas are using this program to undercut the wages of American workers. So, you know what we're doing in the Trump administration? We're saying no more. If you are trying to take advantage of that visa program, you are not allowed into the United States of America," Vance said.
"American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters, and the Department of Labor is fighting back against it," he added.
Vance's comments came after the Trump administration launched what it described as its first major investigation into suspected fraud involving the H-1B and PERM visa categories, both of which allow US employers to recruit foreign workers for specialized occupations when qualified domestic workers are unavailable.
The Department of Labor has not publicly identified companies under investigation. However, the H-1B program is widely used by major US technology companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta and Apple, as well as Indian IT services firms such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCLTech and Cognizant, which employ thousands of foreign workers in the United States.
The H-1B visa program has long been a source of political debate, with supporters arguing it helps employers fill shortages of highly skilled workers, while critics say some companies use it to replace or suppress wages for US employees.
The PERM labor certification process is a prerequisite for many employer-sponsored permanent residency applications and requires companies to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages or working conditions of US workers. (With inputs from agencies)
