The H-1B visa program has long been a topic of heated discussion. Framed as a means to bring top global talent to the United States, this program is often questioned for whether it truly delivers on that promise. National Pulse Editor Raheem Kassam recently weighed in on this issue, sharing his perspective on what the H-1B system accomplishes and where it falls short.
The Issue with “Mass Importation”
A key point raised is the distinction between attracting genuine top-tier professionals and permitting a flood of “mediocre” talent. While supporting skilled foreign workers who can contribute significantly to America’s economy, Kassam expressed concerns about the broader system being exploited. Specifically, the program often doesn’t prioritize pulling in the most qualified individuals or those in high-demand fields.
Instead, data suggests the H-1B visa frequently caters to less specialized roles. This undermines its stated purpose of addressing talent shortages in highly technical or advanced areas.
H-1B Data: Facts That Don’t Add Up
When examining H-1B visa statistics, an interesting trend emerges. Many approved applicants hold only a bachelor’s degree. A much smaller percentage possess master’s degrees, and an even tinier percentage have PhDs. This raises the question: Is the program living up to its mission of sourcing expertise that isn’t readily available in the U.S. workforce?
Kassam highlights another troubling aspect: chain migration through H-1B workers. Since 2023 alone, approximately 250,000 individuals have entered the U.S. as dependents of H-1B holders. This is a significant figure, prompting the need to reassess how the system manages these cases. Is the program’s focus being diluted by this form of migration?
The Problem of Worker Exploitation
Beyond the data, there’s a human cost tied to the H-1B system. Workers under the visa are tied to the companies sponsoring them. This restriction essentially prevents them from seeking better-paying or more fulfilling opportunities elsewhere. Many refer to this as a form of indentured servitude. It’s worth considering whether this aspect aligns with America’s broader values of economic freedom and fair labor practices.
Corporations benefit from retaining skilled labor at lower costs, while workers face limited mobility. This arrangement might serve business interests, but it casts doubt on whether the visa system’s structure respects the rights of the individuals it claims to support.
A Better Model: The O-1 Visa
Kassam introduces the O-1 visa as a better alternative for attracting elite global talent. Unlike the H-1B, the O-1 visa requires individuals to prove extraordinary abilities in their field. The standards are far more stringent, ensuring that only the best and brightest qualify.
By focusing on systems like the O-1 visa, the U.S. could better prioritize highly skilled workers without opening the floodgates to lower-skilled roles. This selective approach would also reduce the likelihood of worker exploitation.
Is Reform Necessary?
The debate over the H-1B visa system isn’t new, but it feels more urgent than ever. As the U.S. faces growing economic competition, being deliberate about who gains entry and why becomes increasingly important. The current structure may incentivize quantity over quality, benefiting companies at the expense of both American workers and many H-1B holders themselves.
Reform could center on stricter qualification criteria, similar to those of the O-1 visa, and reconsidering the issue of worker dependence on employers. Addressing these flaws could make the system fairer and more effective.
Conclusion
The H-1B visa program was designed to bring top talent to the United States. Yet, as the data and personal accounts reveal, it often falls short of this goal. While talented foreign professionals should be welcomed, the system should emphasize quality over quantity. Potential reforms, including a focus on more rigorous criteria like the O-1 visa, could better align the program with its original mission. For America to truly benefit from global expertise, its immigration programs must reflect fairness, meritocracy, and forward-thinking policies.
Article generated with assistance from AI.
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
The same can be said about our preparedness sponsor, Prepper All-Naturals. Their long-term storage beef has a 25-year shelf life and is made with one ingredient: All-American Beef.
Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
Veronika West 1/2/2025
Today, I felt a sudden prompting to intercede on behalf of President Trump.
As I paused to reflect and pray, I was shown a strategic attack being plotted against him.
It reminded me of Judas, who sat at the table during the Last Supper, when Jesus broke bread and shared wine with His disciples.
I urge you to pray for complete exposure and full disclosure regarding those closest to the President — those he considers friends.
Let us remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and principalities of darkness in heavenly places.
I have seen a demonic plot already in motion — meticulously orchestrated and carefully executed.
We must pray for a divine hedge of protection around President Trump, his Sons, his Grandchildren, and those entering the New Administration…
A word from the Lord/Veronika West 11/12/2024 (excerpt)
”Listen! Watch and Pray, for the next sixty-eight (68) days will determine the divine trajectory of a Nation in The Valley of Decision!
I say Watch and Pray — for there are many deadly pitfalls along this way.
Again I say, Remnant — Watch and Pray! Shields up and Swords drawn — for the road to Inauguration Day shall be marked by treachery, treason and great trouble, for there is a battle still raging over The Oval and Oath of Office — and My Covenant Promise!
You are right. One does not need to be prophetic to see the pattern of increasingly violent resistance to Trump’s presidency. Only God saved him from the den of vipers, who have tried impeachment to election fraud, to lawfare to two attempts on his life. But we know prayer works, because he has been victorious against all human odds—a head tilt at the exact nanosecond an assassin’s bullets fly by was absolutely divine protection.
Trump’s presidency threatens the Deep State, compromised politicians, terrorists, illegals, foreign enemies, and Satan himself. The trajectory of these failed attempts shows us that violence is escalating and coordinated from within and has demonic foundations. The new target will be Trump AND his supporters. Prayer warriors need to be fasting and praying diligently, not just between now and January 20th but throughout the next four years…it is a long war to recover America. This is a spiritual battle, the enemy of God’s people can never give up, and the intensity of prayer is vital to prevent a tragedy that is no doubt planned. These people will stop at nothing…except God’s hand of protection.
The purpose of H1b today is to replace high paid American citizen employees with low paid foreign workers for the benefit of business owners. It’s a century old battle against the American worker.
O-1 visas require EXTRAORDINARY ability. A requirement lacking from H-1 visas.
If the need is for SKILLED workers, train the domestic workers instead of importing generic replacements from abroad.
(Admittedly you’ll have to actually enforce the means testing and the actual DISABLED requirements of the various “assistance” programs to get them off the dole and incentivized to actually go get a job…but that will have to be done anyway.)
If you want EXTRAORDINARY talent, you may have to import it with O-1 visas temporarily, but now is the time to GROOM (the good kind of grooming) students and end the dumbing down that is the goal of public indoctrination, sorry, public “education”.
I worked at a company that had a lot of Indian H1B young men. They were treated with disrespect, and the manager they reported to who brought them over (and worked them to death) was also Indian. They were made to work long hours and were paid 40% less than their American peers. The company claimed it was because of the expense and paperwork of processing the H1Bs…total bull. One told me the way they get around the H1B requirement of trying to fill with American labor first is they write their job descriptions so specifically around the credentials of the Indian candidate that they alone meet the criteria…like “has experience in underwater basketweaving.”
HOWEVER…even at grossly reduced wages and long hours, the Indian hires still made more money and had as good or better working conditions as they would have in India, while building a great resume and applying for a Green Card or citizenship. So it’s still a win/win for corporate greed and foreign labor. The only ones screwed are American workers.
H-1B’s were SUPPOSED to be the best and brightest of which we supposedly have a shortage. That meant someone like a PHD in semi conductor technology research of which there are only a few dozen or few hundred in the entire world. And certainly not millions. AND absolutely not an associate degree in C coding. And absolutely not to replace existing American employees currently employed doing those jobs with lower paid foreigners.
These kinds of PHD researchers would normally get paid +300k per year at minimum. So how about we add a tariff to the H-1B salary of about 100k$ paid into the tax base. If a company needs that person so bad then an extra 100k on top of their +300k salary would not be a big deal. But if a company was trying to use associate degree C coders paid 40k$ then a 100k$ tariff would make them conclude that an American associate C coder paid 125K$ would be a better choice.
What’s more, If C coding salaries went up to 125k$ a large number of Americans would decide to get that degree so they could get that money. And there would be no shortage or need for H-1B’s.
The motivation for money is real. In 1976 I had dropped out of college along with 3 other friends but when we heard that as an electrical engineer we could get 25k$ we all went back to engineering school. When I graduated my starting salary was 28k$. Equivalent in today’s dollars to 140k$. H-1B’s have driven down salaries so much that today a 30 year experienced engineer can hardly get 140k$. Let alone a recent graduate.
In the 1990’s we were seeing the H-1B abuse just getting started and we joked that when big companies would claim they could get qualified engineers we exclaimed that what they really meant is they couldn’t get qualified engineers to work for minimum wage.
This is just Indians supporting Indians, with Raheem Kassam and Dinesh D’Souza.
It’s just because they are Indians.