Nikki Haley's son, Nalin Haley, says H-1B visas hurt American graduates

Highlights:

• Nalin Haley calls for a complete ban on H-1B visas.
• Says foreign worker programs hurt young American graduates.
• Stresses assimilation and loyalty to “American values.”
• Remarks spark debate within Indian-American and tech circles.
• Renewed attention on immigration reform and job creation.

Indian-American and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's son, Nalin Haley, came into the spotlight after he spoke about the H-1B visa and a complete end to it. A program that allows skilled foreign workers, many from India, to work in the United States. Speaking to Fox News, the 24-year-old said the visa system disadvantages American graduates who are struggling to find jobs despite their qualifications and debt burdens.

“I’ve seen how it’s affected my friends and those around me,” Nalin said during the interview. “At the end of the day, my loyalty is to America.” His remarks came in response to questions about his stance, given his Indian heritage and his mother’s well-known political profile within the Republican Party.

The younger Haley’s comments struck a particularly sensitive chord within the Indian-American community, which represents a significant portion of H-1B visa holders in the US, especially in technology, healthcare, and research sectors. His statements were widely circulated across social media platforms, drawing both support and backlash from various political and immigrant circles.

Elaborating on his reasoning, Nalin criticized past immigration policies and the notion of multicultural leniency. “What we saw with Obama is that we had a lot of immigrants coming here, and the thought was, ‘You don’t need to change; you don’t need to have your loyalty to America.’ No, you need to assimilate, act like an American, and support American values, American workers, and American people,” he said.

Haley argued that US companies were prioritizing foreign labor through the H-1B visa system while American college graduates remain unemployed or underemployed. “We are seeing kids graduate with six figures in debt and not having a job to show for it,” he said. “My main friend group graduated with great degrees from great schools. It’s been a year and a half since graduation — not one of them has a job.”

He further cited employment data claiming that 58 per cent of recent college graduates are unemployed and that, among the remaining 42 per cent who do find jobs, half are working in positions that do not require a degree. “We need to get rid of the foreign worker visas,” he reiterated. “We need to ban H-1B visas and punish companies that prioritize foreigners over Americans. It’s a massive problem.”

The comments reignited debate around the future of America’s skilled immigration system, which is currently under review as part of broader economic and workforce reforms. While critics accuse Nalin Haley of undermining a program vital to innovation and the tech industry, supporters see his position as a call to protect homegrown talent and reduce dependency on foreign labor.