Rethinking the H-1B Visa Program: A Data-Driven Look at Structural Failures and the High-Skill Illusion

Rethinking the H-1B Visa Program: A Data-Driven Look at Structural Failures and the High-Skill Illusion

The evidence strongly suggests that the H-1B program is not working as intended. Despite efforts by the Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure that H-1B workers do not undercut wages of comparable U.S. workers, the data show that, in certain occupations, H-1B holders earn significantly less than their American counterparts. Furthermore, H-1B visa holders face limited upward mobility even though they often start at below-median wages. More fundament…