The H-1B visa program, a pivotal pathway for skilled professionals to work in the United States, is facing renewed scrutiny following China’s recent strides in artificial intelligence, notably the success of its AI model, DeepSeek. This development has reignited discussions about the role of foreign talent in maintaining America’s technological edge.
Advocates for the H-1B program argue that it is essential for fostering innovation and sustaining the U.S. as a leader in technology. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, emphasized the importance of attracting top talent, stating that foreign workers are crucial for tech companies like SpaceX and Tesla, and that the “H-1B visa made America strong.”
READ: China disrupts AI market with DeepSeek: A better, cheaper version of ChatGPT? (January 27, 2025)
However, critics contend that the program can be misused, potentially displacing American workers and suppressing wages. Sen. Bernie Sanders has expressed concerns that the H-1B visa program exploits foreign workers and undercuts American jobs.
The debate has intensified with China’s AI advancements, particularly the rise of DeepSeek, which has topped app store rankings and garnered significant attention. This success has led to discussions about the need for the U.S. to cultivate its own domestic talent pool to remain competitive.
Discourse on social media platforms like X has intensified as some users say programs like H-1B are standing in the way of growing American talent.
“DeepSeek proves that you don’t need Indian H1-B or Whites to be the best. While US figures out how to make itself great again, China is forging ahead with home grown talent,” one user wrote.
While another set of users claim that Chinese workers on work visas are a national security threat to American tech companies, saying, “DeepSeek shows that America can’t compete with China while outsourcing development to Chinese labor. As long as Big Tech relies on Chinese workers, it’s just producing technology for Chinese to rip off, improve and then claim to have developed at lower cost.”
However, industry leaders highlight the contributions of immigrants who began their careers on H-1B visas. Figures such as Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, both started their journeys in the U.S. on H-1B visas, underscoring the program’s role in nurturing talent that has driven American innovation.
It is important to note that the H-1B visa program is highly competitive and not easily attainable due to strict eligibility requirements and a randomized lottery selection process.
Each year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) caps the number of H-1B visas at 85,000, which includes 65,000 visas for regular applicants and an additional 20,000 for those with advanced degrees (master’s or higher) from U.S. institutions. Due to high demand, the number of applications far exceeds this cap—more than 750,000 registrations were submitted for fiscal year 2024, leading to a low selection rate for applicants.
READ: China’s AI DeepSeek-V3 stuns, disrupts and rattles Silicon Valley (January 27, 2025)
The program operates through a random lottery system, meaning that even highly skilled professionals meeting all qualifications are not guaranteed selection. While the visa is designed to attract highly educated foreign workers in specialty occupations such as technology, engineering, and healthcare, the final outcome is ultimately dependent on chance rather than merit or skill level.
As the U.S. grapples with balancing the benefits of attracting global talent against protecting domestic employment, the H-1B visa program remains a focal point in discussions about the nation’s economic and technological future.