Why do we need H-1B visas for tech workers when so many American tech folks are out of work?
It’s a fair question, and at first glance, it seems like common sense: “Take care of our own first.” But here’s the thing—this isn’t a zero-sum game. It’s not about handing jobs to outsiders over Americans. It’s about making sure the whole system works, and sometimes that means looking beyond our borders for the right tools in the toolbox.
Even before the pandemic, companies were getting comfortable setting up shop outside the U.S. This isn’t the old-fashioned outsourcing you might be thinking of, where a project gets handed off to a contractor and sent halfway across the world. Instead, companies are building their own teams in places like India and Mexico, where they can directly manage operations, cut costs, and tap into skilled talent.
For a while, this was likely more of a “nice-to-have” than a necessity for many companies. Then the pandemic hit, and with it came a freeze on H-1B visas. Suddenly, companies couldn’t bring specialized talent into the U.S., and their offshore plans went from “maybe” to “must.” Remote work made it even easier to manage global teams, and many companies realized that setting up their own offices abroad wasn’t just possible—it was practical.
Now here’s the rub: once many companies figured out they could run entire operations overseas for a fraction of the cost, there was no looking back. And that genie isn’t crawling back into the bottle anytime soon.
If companies can’t bring skilled workers here on H-1Bs, they’ll keep investing in those offshore setups. Why? Because it’s not just about saving a few bucks. It’s about flexibility, scalability, and tapping into expertise wherever they can find it. Lower costs of living in those countries mean they can train workers, expand teams, and stay competitive. And let’s be honest: if remote work works, what’s stopping them?
For the American tech workers who are out of a job, I get it—this sounds like a raw deal. But here’s the truth: you can’t do every tech job. Companies need niche skills—stuff that might not be common here—and the talent pool isn’t always deep enough. It’s not about replacing you; it’s about filling in the gaps.
H-1B visas let us bring those specialists here, where they contribute directly to our economy. They pay taxes, buy homes, and help build the industries that keep local economies humming. If we shut that door, those same skilled workers aren’t going to vanish—they’re just going to stay in their own countries, working for companies that have learned how to build successful operations outside of U.S. borders.
H-1Bs aren’t about undercutting American workers—they’re about staying competitive in a global economy. When the U.S. froze visas, it sent a message to companies: “You’re on your own.” And they adapted.
If we keep pushing opportunities further away, trying to bring them back later will be like trying to un-bake a cake.
A clarification
I’ve literally met people who were brought to the U.S. because particular skills were not available locally. I was more than a little surprised that people making accusations of “dishonesty” latched onto that point. I believe that is an understood use and value of bringing foreign workers here under H-1B visas.
That being said, I did not anticipate people interpreting the statement about “niche” skills to mean niche across the entire economy, nor was I suggesting that this is the only purpose of H-1B workers.
I’m very much in favor of competing here against foreign workers with comparable wages and costs of living, rather than competing with workers who remain in their own countries and can offer to do the same job at twenty percent of American rates.
The belief that the U.S. is going to stuff offshore tech centers back into the proverbial bottle through policy is silly at best. Humans are adaptive. That’s the point. Companies will find ways to work around whatever policies are put in place, and the assumption that U.S. workers will benefit when that happens is wishful thinking.