Do you think U.S. citizens and H1B Visa holders are in direct competition for jobs, or does the program actually complement and grow the overall economy?

There’s a common misconception that H1B workers “take away” jobs. In reality, they often fill gaps in areas where U.S. companies struggle to hire. For instance, specialized roles in software engineering, data science, or chip design often go unfilled domestically. Moreover, studies have shown that H1B workers increase overall job creation. By enabling companies to expand, they indirectly generate new roles for U.S. citizens as well. Immigrants also start companies at high rates, which creates entirely new industries and job opportunities. So rather than being competitors, H1Bs are complements that make the U.S. economy more dynamic and innovative.

I think the competition narrative is overblown. Jobs aren’t a fixed pie—bringing in international talent expands the pie. For example, when Tesla or Google hires skilled immigrants, those companies grow faster, creating thousands of supporting roles. If we frame this as “U.S. vs. foreign workers,” we miss the bigger picture: global talent working side by side is what made Silicon Valley the epicenter of innovation. Without H1Bs, that ecosystem simply wouldn’t exist in its current form.

It depends on the industry. In elite, highly specialized sectors, H1Bs clearly complement U.S. workers. But in some entry-level IT or consulting roles, there’s evidence of overlap and competition. Outsourcing firms, in particular, have been criticized for bringing in H1Bs in bulk for positions that U.S. graduates could fill. So the program has two realities: it grows the economy at large, but it can also create pockets of competition in certain job markets. The solution isn’t scrapping the program but tightening oversight to ensure visas go to truly value-adding positions.