Florida Governor Calls H-1B Visas ‘Total Scam', Says Mostly Benefits Indians

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday described the H1-B visa model as a ‘total scam”. He claimed that it is being employed to exploit the system and undercut American workers. 

He made the remarks during an interview with Fox News and said that it is mostly Indians who “make money” off the system. "I think you’re right to say the H-1B, it’s become a total scam. These companies game the system. You have some of these companies that are laying off large numbers of Americans while they’re also getting new H-1Bs and renewing existing H-1Bs,” he said.   

He disputed the claim that it pulls the brightest talent to the nation but instead has become a system benefitting a specific industry which is dominated by workers from India.

“Often, people used to say, 'We're getting the cream of the crop from all around the world.' The reality is that's not actually what H-1Bs are. Most of them are from one country…there's a cottage industry about how all those people make money off this system," DeSantis said.

The Governor had criticised the program in January as well claiming that it has “some big problems”. 

The remarks came after United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had asserted that the country is looking to change the green card and H-1B visa system, altering significant parts of the current immigration program in place.

The secretary had also claimed that the Green Card would soon be replaced by a Gold Card to “pick the best people to come into the country”. The Gold Card rules state that any individual who invests at least $5 million (approximately 43 crore INR)  in the US would be offered permanent residency.