Trump Administration Targets Broken H-1B System That Displaces American Tech Workers

The Trump administration’s efforts to reform the H-1B visa program have received backing from an unlikely source: a tech industry CEO who sees firsthand how the current system systematically disadvantages American workers.

Skillstorm CEO Justin Vianello outlined the stark reality facing American college graduates in computer science and engineering fields. The numbers do not lie. While the average unemployment rate for college graduates hovers at manageable levels, those holding degrees in computer science and computer engineering face significantly higher joblessness. This is not a coincidence. This is a policy failure.

The facts are damning. Approximately 730,000 H-1B visa holders currently work in the United States, with another 550,000 dependents. More than 70% of these visa holders work in information technology. When American graduates with specialized IT degrees cannot find work in their field while hundreds of thousands of foreign workers fill those same positions, something has gone fundamentally wrong.

Vianello explained that many American IT graduates end up significantly underemployed, taking jobs that do not require their degrees. The investment in education, the student loans, the years of study become effectively worthless when the labor market gets flooded with cheaper foreign alternatives.

The wage disparity tells the complete story. Data demonstrates that H-1B visa holders receive significantly lower compensation than their American counterparts performing equivalent IT roles. This creates an obvious incentive structure for employers. Why hire an American worker at market rate when a visa holder will accept substantially less? This is not about finding talent that does not exist domestically. This is about suppressing wages and maximizing profits at the expense of American workers.

The problem extends beyond H-1B visas alone. Vianello pointed to another loophole that compounds the issue: Optional Practical Training, an extension of the F-1 student visa. STEM graduates on OPT can work in the United States for three years, creating yet another pool of workers competing directly with American graduates for entry-level positions.

Consider the logic here. American students invest tens of thousands of dollars in computer science degrees at American universities. They graduate expecting to enter a robust job market in one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy. Instead, they find themselves competing against foreign workers who accept lower wages and often come through programs designed ostensibly for educational purposes but function as backdoor employment pipelines.

The H-1B program was originally intended to address genuine skills shortages in specialized fields. The reality has become something entirely different. When unemployment rates for American computer science graduates exceed the national average for college graduates, while simultaneously 70% of H-1B holders work in IT, the program has clearly strayed from its stated purpose.

The Trump administration’s focus on reforming this system represents a long-overdue correction. American workers should not have to compete on an unlevel playing field in their own country. American graduates should not face systematic wage suppression through immigration policy that prioritizes corporate cost-cutting over domestic employment.

This is not about xenophobia or isolationism. This is about basic fairness and sound policy. Immigration programs should serve American interests first, supplementing the domestic workforce where genuine gaps exist, not replacing American workers with cheaper alternatives.