Vice President JD Vance took to the All‑In Podcast on Tuesday to defend the Trump administration's H‑1B visa reforms, announcing a $100,000 fee that the administration says will deter companies from replacing American workers with low‑wage foreign talent.
Vance said the fee follows a review of fraud in the program and a recognition that Congress has not moved to legislate changes because of insufficient political will. He noted that the policy will target firms that have recently laid off thousands of U.S. employees while still seeking to hire H‑1B workers.
The measure will also investigate and prevent companies from using H‑1B visas while simultaneously reducing U.S. staff, citing examples where firms had laid off 5,000 workers yet still applied for visas. Vance emphasized that the administration believes the policy stands on solid legal footing despite past lawsuits.
The administration expects to finalize the fee structure by June and will monitor compliance, with officials saying they will intervene if a firm hires foreign talent after mass layoffs.