US Senator Eric Schmitt has intensified his criticism of America’s employment-based visa system, alleging that programmes such as H-1B, L-1, F-1 and Optional Practical Training (OPT) are hurting American workers and encouraging what he called a global “Visa Cartel”.
In a series of posts on X, Schmitt claimed that large technology companies were laying off US workers while continuing to hire foreign workers through H-1B visas for similar jobs.
“Programs like H-1B, L-1, F-1, and OPT are displacing U.S. workers, suppressing wages, and hollowing out our middle class,” Schmitt wrote.
The Republican senator also referred to Hyderabad’s well-known visa temple culture while criticising the scale of Indian demand for US work visas.
“The ‘Visa Cartel’ has its own ‘Visa Temple’ in Hyderabad, which sees thousands of Indians circling altars and getting passports blessed for U.S. work visas,” Schmitt said.
“American workers shouldn’t have to compete against a system this gamed,” he added.
Senator alleges abuse in visa system
Schmitt alleged that some companies use interconnected firms to recruit overseas workers, file visa petitions, place candidates in jobs and manage payroll operations through linked entities.
“What looks like a list of tenants, is in reality, a vertically integrated labor pipeline,” he wrote.
He further claimed that “fraud and abuse are rampant” in the current visa structure and said shell companies and kickback schemes were being used to supply “cheap, visa-dependent labor” to US firms.
The senator also argued that billions of dollars were flowing overseas for artificial intelligence-related work and training.
“Big tech companies have laid off thousands of U.S. workers while filling thousands of H-1B requests for identical roles,” Schmitt posted.
Hyderabad’s visa temples draw applicants every year
Hyderabad is home to several temples that are popularly associated with US visa hopes among applicants, especially students and IT professionals. Many applicants visit these temples before visa interviews or overseas travel.
Among the best-known is the Chilkur Balaji Temple, often referred to locally as the “Visa Temple”, where devotees offer prayers seeking approvals for US visas and overseas opportunities.
India remains one of the largest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, with Indian technology professionals accounting for a major share of approvals issued each year.
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