WASHINGTON — US Representative Riley Moore has accused employers of replacing American computer science graduates with foreign workers hired at lower wages, renewing debate over the H-1B visa system and the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme for international students.
In a post on X accompanying a clip from a television interview, Moore described both programmes as “scams,” arguing that they allow companies to recruit foreign workers at lower costs instead of hiring US graduates. His allegations have not, by themselves, established that H-1B workers are responsible for the loss of jobs among American graduates.
Appearing on The Scott Jennings Show on Salem News Channel, Moore claimed that about 650,000 Americans graduated with degrees in computer science, programming or related fields last year, while the United States issued more than 500,000 H-1B visas.
He argued that the figures illustrated a growing imbalance between the supply of domestic graduates and employers’ demand for foreign talent.
“The H-1B and OPT programmes are scams that bring in cheaper foreign labour to undercut and replace American workers,” Moore wrote on social media.
The congressman said the H-1B programme was originally intended to help US employers fill specialised positions for which qualified domestic workers were unavailable. In his view, however, companies have increasingly used the system to reduce labour costs and limit opportunities for young Americans entering the workforce.
Moore also criticised the role of employers in determining hiring and wage levels, arguing that newly qualified graduates in computer science, accounting and related fields were being disadvantaged by competition from overseas workers.
He further claimed that H-1B visa holders often bring family members to the United States, linking the programme to what he described as “chain migration.” That characterisation was part of his criticism of the immigration system rather than an independently established finding about H-1B recipients.
What the figures show
The numbers cited by Moore require context. Data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics show that US universities awarded approximately 114,100 computer and information sciences degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s levels combined in 2023, compared with about 74,300 a decade earlier. These figures cover those two degree levels and do not represent every computer-related qualification or the number of graduates seeking work in a particular year.
H-1B visa statistics also need to be distinguished from the number of newly hired foreign workers. USCIS data include petitions for both initial employment and continuing employment, so the number of visas or approved petitions cannot automatically be treated as a count of new workers replacing recent graduates.
The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire eligible foreign nationals for specialised occupations, while OPT permits qualifying international students on F-1 visas to gain practical work experience related to their studies. Critics argue that the programmes can put pressure on some domestic workers; supporters contend that they help employers fill specialised vacancies and recruit talent needed by the US economy.
Proposed rule could bring closer scrutiny of visa extensions
The debate comes as the Department of Homeland Security considers a separate change to how immigration officials review applications to extend certain temporary work authorisations.
A proposed rule published in the Federal Register on October 14 would remove a requirement for US Citizenship and Immigration Services to generally defer to earlier approvals when reviewing extension petitions involving the same parties and underlying facts. Under the proposal, officers would conduct a fresh assessment of eligibility in each case.
The proposal has not yet become final. The government is accepting public comments through November 13, 2026, before deciding whether to adopt the change. If implemented, it could mean more detailed reviews of extension applications, including those involving H-1B workers.
The policy debate reflects a wider disagreement over how the United States should balance opportunities for domestic graduates with employers’ access to international talent. Moore argues that the current system disadvantages American workers, while the broader question of how much visa programmes contribute to job displacement remains more complex than the figures he cited alone can establish.
