A renewed political debate over the H-1B skilled-worker visa programme has intensified after US President Donald Trump defended the system earlier this week, prompting strong opposition from several Republican lawmakers even as researchers and legal experts warned that restricting the visa could harm the US economy.
On Friday, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene reiterated on X her plan to introduce legislation to &ldquo;ban H1B visas in all sectors&rdquo; except medicine. 
She argued that ending the programme would boost employment and housing availability for Americans.
&ldquo;Ending H1B visas will also help the housing market&hellip; When Americans have good paying jobs they will be able to buy homes as long as they don&rsquo;t have to compete with legally imported labor on visas and rich powerful asset management companies,&rdquo; she said.
Greene&rsquo;s proposal seeks to reduce annual H-1B visas from the current 85,000 to 10,000, with even that carve-out phased out over a decade.
Her bill would also eliminate the path to citizenship for visa holders.&nbsp;
&ldquo;These visas were intended to fill a speciality occupational need at a given time&hellip; We thank them for their expertise, but we also wish them well so they may return to their own country,&rdquo; she said in a video message.
Republican Congressman Andy Ogles echoed her sentiment on X, writing, &ldquo;No more H1-Bs is a no-brainer. Let&rsquo;s get it done.&rdquo;
The criticism follows Trump&rsquo;s remarks in a Fox News interview, where he dismissed concerns that the US had enough domestic talent. 
When asked whether his administration planned to deprioritise H-1B visas, he responded, &ldquo;You do have to bring in talent.&rdquo;&nbsp;
When the interviewer countered, &ldquo;we have plenty of talent,&rdquo; Trump replied, &ldquo;No you don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have certain talents&hellip; you can&rsquo;t take people off an unemployment line and say, I&rsquo;m going to put you into a factory. We&rsquo;re going to make missiles,&rdquo; he added.
Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham reacted to the debate on X, asking, &ldquo;America&rsquo;s survival depends on its importing an endless stream of foreign workers, supposedly all geniuses?&rdquo;
The White House clarified on Wednesday that the administration aims to curb abuses within the programme, not abolish it entirely. 
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a statement from spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, who said the administration remained committed to &ldquo;reforming the immigration system.&rdquo;
&ldquo;In record time, President Trump has done more than any president in modern history to tighten our immigration laws and put American workers first,&rdquo; Rogers said. 
She added that a recently introduced $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications was designed to deter misuse.
The Department of Labor has also launched more than 175 investigations into potential violations within the visa system.
However, experts argue that restricting or eliminating the H-1B would harm the US economy. 
A Manhattan Institute study found that an average H-1B worker increases US GDP by $500,000 over 30 years and reduces national debt by $2.3 million. 
The report describes South Asian, particularly Indian, immigrants as the &ldquo;most fiscally positive group.&rdquo;
Study author Daniel Martino projected that ending the H-1B programme would increase US debt by $185 billion over a decade and shrink the economy by $26 billion. 
The report also stated that &ldquo;Indian immigrants are the most economically beneficial immigrant group&rdquo; in the country. 
India-born workers accounted for more than 70% of approved H-1B visas in 2024.
Anna K. Gorisch, founder of Kendall Immigration Law, criticised the political opposition to the programme, calling it &ldquo;peak stupidity.&rdquo; 
She wrote on X, &ldquo;It is tightly controlled and the opposite of "endless."The attacks on LEGAL immigrants are wholly unjustified and anathema to the promise of America.&rdquo;
&mdash;IANS

Trump’s claim that the U.S. lacks certain talents intensifies the H-1B visa debate

Trump’s H-1B stance sparks sharp GOP pushback amid calls to curb skilled-worker visas

Debate Deepens Over Trump’s H-1B Backing

Trump’s H-1B stance sparks sharp GOP pushback amid calls to curb skilled-worker visas

November 15, 2025 | 16:26 IST