'73% of visas go to India': American founder says H-1B pipeline 'rigged' to favour 'one country'

An ed-tech founder is stoking controversy after slamming the H-1B visa system for favoring one country—India. Hany Girgis, co-owner of an ed-tech firm, called the approval pattern a “rigged system,” accusing outsourcing firms of gaming the visa process to prioritize “cheap, compliant labour.”

“73.7% of all H-1B approvals go to just one country,” Girgis posted on X, formerly Twitter, citing a Bloomberg graphic showing India’s dominance in U.S. work visa approvals from 2020 to 2023. India accounted for 2.3 lakh approvals—nearly three-quarters of the total—far outpacing China’s 16% share and Canada’s 3%.

“This is not about diversity or shortages,” Girgis wrote. “It’s a pipeline issue—a pipeline of cheap, compliant labour feeding outsourcing firms… while sidelining American grads.”

He doubled down, arguing that the current system rewards cost-cutting over talent. “If they’re the ‘best and brightest,’ why the discount?” he asked, pointing to data showing that H-1B workers in five out of six key tech roles earn less than their American counterparts.

The H-1B process begins with employers filing a Labour Condition Application, followed by a lottery and petition process. But critics like Girgis argue that the lottery has been distorted by major outsourcing firms submitting mass applications, crowding out U.S. grads and smaller employers.

Online reactions were divided. One user defended the numbers, stating, “Most H-1Bs come from India because that’s literally where most of the highly skilled, highly educated, English-speaking humans in the world live.” Another pushed back with a blunt retort: “Can we just ban H-1Bs? If we are short of talent, just train new ones here in the USA.”

Others questioned the focus of the criticism. “So who should you be upset with—the Indians or the companies hiring them?” one user asked.