Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Labor has launched a new investigation into fraud within the H-1B visa program. Speaking in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Vance characterized the initiative as a necessary measure to protect American workers from wage stagnation caused by foreign exploitation of the system.
According to the Vice President, the Department of Labor has already issued dozens of subpoenas as part of this crackdown. Administration officials allege that some companies and foreign entities are circumventing visa regulations by paying workers less than the certified wage on their Labor Condition Applications or assigning them to roles not specified in their original petitions.
“Big corporations and fraudsters overseas are using this program to undercut the wages of American workers,” Vance stated during his address. He emphasized that the administration views the integrity of the visa program as a matter of domestic labor protection, arguing that foreign workers are sometimes coerced into accepting lower pay after their initial visa terms expire to maintain their legal status in the U.S.
The H-1B program, which grants nonimmigrant work visas for specialty occupations such as technology, healthcare, and education, is heavily utilized by the tech sector, which accounts for roughly 70% of all applications. This investigation follows a recent legal setback for the administration, after a federal judge struck down a proposed $100,000 fee for H-1B applicants, ruling that the executive branch lacked the authority to impose such a tax without congressional approval.
The announcement serves as a focal point for the administration’s broader economic platform in the battleground state of Wisconsin, as officials contrast their approach to labor oversight with that of the Democratic Party.