US Vice-President JD Vance has said the Trump administration wants to attract highly specialized foreign professionals who can make exceptional contributions to the American economy, while opposing the use of immigration programs to replace American workers with lower-paid overseas employees.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference on visa fraud on Thursday, Vance said the United States remained open to foreign nationals with outstanding skills but argued that the H-1B visa program had strayed from its original purpose.
“We want a lot of other people to come into the United States of America if they have truly elite specialized skills,” Vance said.
His remarks came in response to a question about how the administration could attract another entrepreneur like Elon Musk while restricting opportunities for foreign workers and researchers. Musk studied in the United States and was accepted at Stanford University before building his business empire.
Vance said officials should consider two factors when assessing foreign professionals: whether the position could be filled by an American worker and whether the applicant possessed exceptional skills, competency and work ethic.
He cited Musk and AMD chief executive Lisa Su as examples of international talent whose contributions demonstrated the potential benefits of attracting highly skilled professionals.
However, Vance alleged that some employers were using the H-1B program to recruit foreign workers for jobs that American employees could perform.
“Unfortunately, what we see with most H-1Bs is that you're taking somebody, I'm sure in most cases, a decent human being, and they're using them to replace an American middle-class worker,” he said.
Vance also defended the administration's decision to impose an additional fee on H-1B applications, arguing that employers seeking exceptionally talented professionals should be prepared to pay more to recruit them.
“If you're actually bringing a truly elite, genius-level, super-specialized person into the United States of America, you're gonna be willing to pay a little bit extra to bring that person into your company,” he said.
He argued that the higher cost would discourage companies from using the program primarily to reduce labor expenses.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to hire foreign professionals for specialized occupations, including technology, engineering and scientific research, subject to applicable eligibility and wage requirements.
The program is particularly important for Indian professionals, who have historically accounted for a substantial share of H-1B visa recipients. Any changes to eligibility rules, recruitment practices or application costs could therefore affect Indian technology workers seeking employment opportunities in the United States.