Riley Moore accused H-1B and OPT programmes of undercutting American workers.
He claimed companies hire foreign workers for lower wages.
Proposed visa extension rules could affect Indian professionals.
US Congressman Riley Moore has alleged that H-1 B visa holders in the US are replacing American graduates in computer science and claims that big firms are hiring foreign workers because they take low wages.
In his X post on Saturday, US Congressman Moore called the H-1B visa and Optional Practical Training (OPT) programmes “SCAMS,” and further claimed that they let companies replace American workers with cheaper foreign employees.
He wrote, “H-1B and OPT programs are SCAMS that undercut and replace American workers with cheap foreign labour.”
He added, “What it is, is importing cheap labour that is undercutting a lot of our young college graduates who are coming out of school with accounting degrees and other types of degrees, computer science, things like that, that are ready to enter the workforce, ” Hindustan Times reported.
Moore further claimed that people having H-1B visas bring family members to the US. He linked the programme to what he described as chain migration.
“And the typical H-1B visa holder, by the way, brings 10 individuals of their family with them. So you have this whole chain migration thing that goes with it,” he said.
H-1B Visa May Face Scrutiny
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a rule that could change how applications to extend temporary work visas, including H-1B and L-1 visas, are reviewed. The move has raised concerns among Indian immigrants, HT reported earlier.
Under the proposal, immigration officers could review an applicant’s eligibility again, even if an earlier application was approved under the same circumstances.
The rule has not yet taken effect, and DHS is seeking feedback on the “entirety of this proposed rulemaking package.”
Impact On India
The issue targets Indian professionals, who make up the largest share of H-1B visa recipients. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data show that Indian nationals accounted for around 70 per cent of all H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal year 2025, according to Times of India.
The US issues up to 85,000 new H-1B visas annually. This includes 65,000 visas under the regular quota and another 20,000 reserved for foreign graduates holding advanced degrees from US universities.
Some employers and worker categories are exempt from this annual limit.
Moore's allegations that H-1B workers are taking jobs from American graduates reflect wider concerns about the programme's effect on the US labour market. His comments have added to the ongoing debate over whether the visa system helps companies find skilled workers or puts American employees at a disadvantage.
