'Mutual Benefit': India Responds To Calls In US To Scrap H-1B Visa Scheme

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 18:58 IST

In recent weeks, influential conservative voices in the United States have targeted the H-1B visa system, accusing it of displacing US workers.

Indian-Americans gather outside the Consulate General of India in support of India, in San Francisco. (PTI/Representational Image)

Responding to calls by right-wing commentators in the United States to scrap the H1-B visa scheme for foreign workers, particularly Indians, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the mobility partnership was an important part of India-US ties, which was mutually beneficial for both sides.

During a press conference, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The mobility partnership between India and the United States is an important pillar of this relationship. It supports our technology collaboration, economic collaboration, and several other things that are happening in the space of innovation, new emerging technologies, and financial collaboration."

“We value it, and it is something that brings mutual benefit to both sides. While it creates space for our skilled people to work in the United States, it also adds a lot of value to the competitiveness and productivity of American enterprises. It is something that is in mutual benefit," he added.

Jaiswal said India would continue to engage with the United States on mobility issues and see how best to drive this partnership, amid a strain in India-US ties over President Donald Trump’s tariff pressure.

In recent weeks, influential conservative voices like Laura Loomer and Charlie Kirk have targeted the H-1B visa system, which benefits Indians, accusing it of displacing US workers. MAGA influencers have long targeted the H1-B visa system, which is used primarily by Indian tech workers, as antithetical to their “America First" policies.

Charlie Kirk reignited the debate with a post: “America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full."

ALSO READ: US Economist Calls Indians ‘Most Positive’ Group, So Why Are MAGA Voices Targeting Them?

Earlier, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the H-1B visa as a “scam" that reduced wages and displaced American workers. Lutnick said immigration policy should instead reward American workers rather than skilled-worker applicants.

Indians are the largest beneficiaries of the H-1B programme, accounting for over 70% of the total H-1B visas issued annually. Indian-origin CEOs lead Google, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, and many other Fortune 500 firms. Indian entrepreneurs are behind some of America’s most successful unicorns, collectively generating millions of jobs for American workers.

The recent targeting of Indian H-1B visa holders has drawn accusations of racism and hypocrisy. Several US experts have argued that Indian workers have resulted in a positive growth of the US economy.

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