US Presidential Aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy Pledges to End H-1B Visa System Despite Using It 29 Times

US Presidential Aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy Pledges to End H-1B Visa System Despite Using It 29 Times

Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant, has made waves in the political landscape by pledging to abolish the H-1B visa program if he gets elected to the highest office in the land. Ramaswamy’s promise comes with an ironic twist, as it has been uncovered that he himself has utilized the H-1B visa system no less than 29 times for the operations of his former company, Roivant Sciences, between the years 2018 and 2023.

The H-1B visa system, which has been designed to allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, has long been a source of debate as well as reform efforts. Ramaswamy’s plan seeks to replace the current lottery-based admissions system by adopting a more meritocratic admissions approach. In a statement, he called the present-day system “indentured servitude” and strongly demanded that it be replaced.

“The lottery system needs to be replaced by actual meritocratic admission. It’s a form of indentured servitude that only accrues to the benefit of the company that sponsored an H-1B immigrant. I’ll gut it,” Ramaswamy declared.

The H-1B visa program appears to have been condemned for a number of reasons, most notably claims of exploitation of foreign labor as well as the displacement of American workers. Proponents believe that it is necessary for drawing the very best people from various parts of the world and addressing the shortages of skills in the US job market.

Due to his personal usage of the H-1B visa program during his stint at Roivant Sciences, Ramaswamy’s point of view on the visa program before the US Presidential elections in 2024 has led to controversy. Critics have been accusing him of being duplicitous for attempting to advocate for the program’s abolition while also using it as an opportunity to recruit people for his own personal business. In response to these charges, Ramaswamy defended himself, claiming that his experience as an employer provided him with unique insight into the program’s inherent faults.

“I’ve seen firsthand how the current system operates, and I believe it’s fundamentally flawed. We need a better, more merit-based approach to immigration that serves the interests of both our nation and those seeking opportunities here,” Ramaswamy openly claimed during a recent campaign event.

The proposal by him for transforming the H-1B lottery to a merit-based system was met with mixed reviews from commentators in politics as well as the general public. His dedication to developing a system is lauded by his supporters, but other people contend that his personal usage of the program taints his ability to be trusted.

Ramaswamy’s position on immigration as well as the H-1B visa program is anticipated to be an important topic of debate throughout the 2024 presidential campaign. What comes out of this discussion could have significant repercussions on American immigration laws as well as the labor market in the future.

What Is H-1B Visa Programme?

The H-1B visa program, a non-immigrant visa system, enables US businesses to employ foreign employees in specialized vocations, in particular those that call for theoretical or technical ability. IT corporations with headquarters in the US have utilized it extensively to hire talented professionals from nations like China as well as India.

Historical Context

Political scepticism is nothing new for the H-1B visa program. It was a contentious issue during the most recent US Presidential election, and the Trump administration made significant changes to the program. The Trump administration temporarily stopped H-1B visas as well as other forms of foreign work permits in June 2020, during a crucial election year, in order to protect the economic interests of American workers.

A “specialty occupation” was to be defined more narrowly, meaning that employers would have to prove that there were no qualified US citizens available to fill H-1B employment. A wage-based allocation system was also supposed to take the place of the lottery-based one. These Trump-era regulations, though, were subsequently repealed in 2021.

Benefits of H-1B Visa

The H-1B visa, which is granted for a set period while offering the option of renewal, provides holders with a number of benefits. The program’s recruits have the right to the same pay scale, conditions of employment, as well as hiring standards as those who work in the United States. Employers must also make up for lost productivity due to licensing or permit deficiencies.

The program gives firms access to a vast talent pool, which renders it to be an effective tool for luring employees who possess particular specialized skills, knowledge as well as abilities.

How the Proposed Changes Impact Indians?

The annual issue of 85,000 work permits under the H-1B visa program, of which 65,000 go to people in specialist occupations and 20,000 to foreign employees with master’s degrees or higher obtained in the US, is one of the program’s key features. These permits have historically been awarded to Indian citizens as well as businesses in large numbers.

Indians reportedly made a significant contribution to 73% of the total number of 4.42 lakh H-1B workers during the 2022 fiscal year. The number of visa applications approved each year may decline as a result of the proposed switch to a “merit”-based allocation system. Numerous Indians who want to work in the United States may have their hopes and dreams dashed by this development. Although the merit-based system seeks to address worries about the exploitation as well as displacement of American labor, its effects on highly qualified Indian professionals are still highly contentious.

When Vivek Ramaswamy left his position as CEO of Roivant in February 2021, he continued to serve as the board of directors’ chairman until he declared his candidacy for president in February of this year. A total of 904 full-time employees, 825 of whom were based in the United States, were employed by the company and its subsidiaries as of March 31, as stated in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Tricia McLaughlin, his press secretary, responded when questioned about the discrepancy between the Republican presidential candidate’s policy positions as well as his prior business practices by saying that a policymaker’s duty is to act in the best interest of the entire country and that the current system is flawed and in need of reform. Despite his worries about regulatory challenges in the US energy sector, she compared this to Ramaswamy’s usage of resources which include electricity and water.

Ramaswamy, who is himself the child of immigrants, has gained notoriety for his rigid immigration policy agenda, which includes suggestions to use military action to control the US border as well as deport undocumented immigrants’ children who have been born in the US. H-1B visas continue to be in high demand, and the need is only growing. For the 85,000 slots that were open in the fiscal year 2021, US companies submitted an astounding 780,884 applications—an upward trend of more than 60%.

Ramaswamy recognized his personal experience with immigration during his opening statements at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee, recalling his parents’ disadvantageous entry into the country forty years earlier. He also emphasized the fact that he has founded multi-billion-dollar businesses.

Ramaswamy’s attitude on H-1B visas is reminiscent of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, when the latter took a tough stance against these employees despite still employing foreign workers on H-1B visas to work for his enterprises before changing his stance to one that is more accommodating. As part of a larger campaign to restrict immigration, Trump temporarily banned new work visas as well as barred hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from looking for employment in the US.

Every year, the US issues 65,000 H-1B visas, which are open to all candidates for admission, and 20,000 of them are set aside for people with advanced degrees from the US. Nearly 75 percent of H-1B visas are being granted to professionals from India.

A plan to quadruple the annual intake of highly qualified foreign workers on H-1B visas, which are particularly sought after by Indian professionals, was put forward in July by Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. The measure that was suggested also proposes to boost the yearly cap on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 130,000 in order to help American businesses recruit outstanding talent from all over the world, especially in crucial technological fields.

Ramaswamy has distinguished himself in a crowded primary field thanks to his strict policy recommendations. The first survey taken after Ramaswamy’s debut in the Republican presidential primary debate on August 23 revealed that 28% of the 504 respondents thought he performed the best. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, came in second with 27% of the vote, while Mike Pence, the former vice president, came in third with 13%. Nikki Haley, a fellow Indian-American contender as well as a former US ambassador to the UN, earned 7% of the vote.

The long-term prospects of the H-1B visa program as well as its effects on Indian employees will surely continue to be a topic of intense attention and worry as the election season progresses. The future of this crucial immigration program is yet to be determined by the current political climate as well as policies.