Public universities across the United States are drawing criticism after H-1B hiring notices shared on social media reignited concerns about whether qualified American workers are being passed over for certain jobs.
Independent journalist Chris Brunet shared screenshots on X showing two recent notices from the University of Michigan indicating its intent to hire foreign workers through the H-1B visa program. The positions listed included an Intermediate Software Developer with an annual salary of $72,100 and an Intermediate Database Administrator with a salary of $75,000.
Referencing the notices, Brunet wrote:
“The University of Michigan has filed 2 notices of intent to hire H-1B workers
- Intermediate Software Developer, salary: $72,100
- Intermediate Database Administrator, salary: $75,000
No American software or database developers were qualified for these positions.”
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The postings were tied to departments within the university’s Ann Arbor campus, including the Office of Medical Student Education and the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine.
The H-1B requests have once again drawn attention to the alleged overuse of the program by taxpayer-funded institutions, particularly at a time when many Americans continue to report difficulties finding employment in technology and professional sectors.
Reacting to Brunet’s post, one user wrote, “All they talk about in Michigan is how bad unemployment is, took me almost a year to get a job.”
The criticism is not limited to the latest University of Michigan H-1B job postings. Earlier this year, Brunet had shared similar H-1B intent notices from several public universities, including the University of Arkansas, Indiana University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Michigan.
In March, he shared documents showing the University of Michigan’s intent to hire three Business Analysts through the H-1B program. The positions carried annual salaries of $73,000, $83,841, and $112,763.
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Indiana University also appeared in Brunet’s reporting. According to the documents he shared, the university posted notices for a Software Engineer position with a salary of roughly $74,000 and a Data Analyst role paying approximately $85,000 annually under H-1B hiring procedures.
The disclosures have only made the situation worse between attracting global talent and prioritizing domestic hiring, particularly at publicly funded universities.
The scrutiny surrounding H-1B visa applications is no longer confined to the technology sector. Hiring decisions involving foreign workers across industries, including healthcare, education, and other professional fields, are increasingly drawing attention of the people.
Among many supporters of the MAGA movement, opposition to the H-1B program has become more pronounced, with some calling for stricter restrictions and others advocating for its complete elimination. Social media has emerged as a key battleground in the debate, where posts highlighting H-1B hiring notices at universities, hospitals, and private employers are appearing more often than ever.