An American senator has slammed the misuse of the H-1B visa programme, claiming that it unfairly disadvantages American workers and while benefiting Indian nationals and large tech companies. Eric Schmitt, the Republican politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2023, shared a lengthy thread on X (formerly Twitter), where he said that a ‘visa cartel’ is operating globally and disproportionately benefits Indian employees in the United States.
What is the ‘visa cartel’?
Schmitt described the cartel as an interconnected system involving universities, outsourcing firms, recruiters and certain tech companies that — in his view — systematically favours foreign workers over Americans.
“Big tech companies have laid off thousands of U.S. workers while filling thousands ofrequests for identical roles. 82% of those foreign hires came in below median wages. BILLIONS now flow to India for AI training instead, subsidized by Americans,” he claimed. “This is part of a global “visa cartel.” Networks recruit overseas, lie on resumes, file petitions, and treat workers like cattle.”
The ‘Visa Temple’ in India
The US senator also cited a temple in India as an example of how the H-1B system is being ‘gamed’ by the so-called visa cartel.
Senator Schmitt shared a picture of the Chilkur Balaji Temple, which the Wall Street Journal described as the “Visa Temple” of India in a 2025 report. The Journal noted how devotees flock to the temple with the belief that its deity will help them secure employment or education offers abroad. Some even carry their passport to this temple, which is located in Hyderabad district.
“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,” wrote Schmitt. “American workers shouldn’t have to compete against a system this gamed.”
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On the H-1B visa programme
Eric Schmitt has repeatedly voiced his objections to the H-1B visa programme, as well as other visa programmes that allow foreigners to enter and work in the United States.
Last year, he had sent a letter to the USCIS Administrator Joseph Edlow raising concerns that H-1B visas are being used improperly to staff positions in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy. Later, he also wrote about the need to reform the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme through which foreign students can work in the US for up to 12 months after finishing their degree.
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