US Vice President JD Vance on July 8 (IST) issued a strong warning as the Trump administration intensifies what is being described as one of its largest investigations into alleged fraud involving the H-1B visa programme. The visa, widely used by American companies to recruit highly skilled foreign professionals, has come under increased scrutiny over claims that it is being misused at the expense of US workers.
Addressing personnel during a visit to the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refuelling Wing in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Vance said the Department of Labour had already begun issuing subpoenas and launching investigations into what he described as "foreign fraudsters" exploiting the visa system.
"We have a program called the H-1B visa program. This goes to show how broad-based the fraud task force is we're... we're fighting for your taxpayer money, but we're also making sure that fraudsters don't take advantage of these visa programs,” he said.
Vance said the H-1B programme was originally intended to allow "a brilliant technology person, or a brilliant scientist, or a brilliant doctor" to work legally in the United States. However, he alleged that the programme has increasingly been misused by corporations and overseas actors to suppress wages for American employees.
"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," he said.
"Here's a simple principle, ladies and gentlemen: American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters, and the Department of Labour is fighting back against it," Vance added.
His remarks come after the Trump administration launched its first major investigation into suspected fraud involving the H-1B and PERM visa programmes, both of which enable US employers to hire foreign professionals for specialised positions.
