U.S. Vice President JD Vance strongly criticized American companies for prioritizing H-1B visa hires over American workers, calling the narrative that they “can’t find talent” in the U.S. a “bullsh*t story.”
Speaking at a bipartisan event co-hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum, Vance questioned the ethical and economic reasoning behind mass layoffs by companies like Microsoft, followed closely by a surge in H-1B visa applications.
“You see big tech firms laying off 9,000 employees and then applying for thousands of overseas work visas — it just doesn’t add up,” Vance said. “That kind of displacement and math concerns me. The president has said we want the best and brightest to make America their home, and that’s good. But I don’t support companies firing thousands of American workers and then claiming they can’t find talent here. That’s a bullsh*t excuse.”
Microsoft, which recently laid off 9,000 employees globally, has come under scrutiny after social media reports claimed the company filed more than 6,000 H-1B visa applications since October.
Criticism of Vance’s Comments
An Indian-American tech investor responded to Vance’s remarks, accusing him of spreading misinformation. He pointed out that many of the laid-off employees were H-1B visa holders who received no severance or safety net and now face a 60-day deadline to leave the country.
“Microsoft didn’t hire new foreign workers after the layoffs; they simply renewed visas for longtime employees who’ve been in the U.S. legally and are stuck in green card backlogs,” the investor said. “Suggesting that’s ‘replacing Americans’ is misleading. Renewing a visa so someone can keep the job they already earned is not the same as hiring someone new off the street.”
