US vice president JD Vance said on Tuesday that his Indian-origin in-laws moved to America and enriched the country, while criticising several others who misuse the H-1B visa programme. The vice president is married to Usha Vance, the first Indian-origin second lady of the United States, whose family traces its roots to Vadluru, a village in Andhra Pradesh.
The H-1B visa programme is primarily used by US technology companies to hire workers from other countries. A large share of H-1B visa holders are Indian professionals, including those working in technology and healthcare.
What JD Vance said on H-1B visa and Indian-origin in-laws
At a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, the US vice president was asked about the difficulties H-1B visa holders face in obtaining a Green Card, also known as a Permanent Resident Card, which allows people to live and work in the United States for the long term.
Replying to the question, Vance said there is “a lot of fraud” in the H-1B visa system, but he also said that many people who came to the US have added value to the country, including his in-laws.
He said, “I think you can believe on the one hand that there’s a lot of fraud in the H-1B system, while also believing that there are people who have come to the United States in the past who have enriched this country.”
“I’m married to the daughter of immigrants from India. And, you know, I love my in-laws. They’re great people, and they have been great contributors to the United States of America,” he said.
He also said that after becoming an American citizen, a person should think about the country’s interests rather than the nation they came from or any group they belonged to earlier. He said one must see oneself as American.
“The system only works if everybody thinks of themselves as an American. I remember having this conversation with my father-in-law, who’s an amazing guy,” Vance said.
He added, “My father-in-law, who came from India, who moved to the United States, who got an education and became an American citizen, never once in my life has he ever said, ‘You have to do this’ or ‘You should do this because it’s in the best interest of the country that I came from.’”
The H-1B visa system under Trump
Major changes to the H-1B visa programme under US President Donald Trump have changed the way companies in the United States hire foreign workers, including a $100,000 fee and new rules linked to wages.
The most debated move, a $100,000 fee on some new H-1B visas, has made it difficult for many small employers to use the programme.
Apart from the fee, new rules introduced in February 2026 give preference to higher-paid roles in the visa process and suggest raising the minimum salary levels for H-1B workers.
The Trump administration has said these changes are needed to protect workers in the US and improve pay levels.
