'Simple algebra, They cannot do...': Investor slams H-1B 'skilled workers', claims they fake skills and get $100k jobs

A US investor stirred a heated immigration debate online after making sweeping claims about H-1B visa holders’ skill levels, alleging that most cannot solve sixth-grade algebra.

In a widely circulated post on X, Lauren Balik wrote, “I have literally made people solve: ‘5(x) + 2 = 12, what is x?’ in job interviews and most people fail it. CMOs, data engineers, analysts, etc. It’s all one big make-work program we’ve been in since the relational database was released in the 1970s.” She added, “All H-1Bs fail 100% of the time but allegedly they are the world’s math and database and IT experts and allegedly this is ‘skilled’ employment…”

In a follow-up post, Balik clarified that she supports recruiting top global talent but doubled down on her criticism: “To be clear, I am sure there are a few H-1Bs that can pass… but the majority cannot solve 6th grade algebra. I have done this test many times on people.”

She further argued, “If you can solve the test you can get a $100,000 per year or higher job in the United States of America… and these people come in with fat resumes and tons of ‘job experience’ that came from… somewhere.”

Citing an example, she said, “I even had an ex-Google guy who couldn’t solve this and he was talked up as a legend, top 1%.”

The claims quickly triggered a backlash. One user countered, “About 25% H-1Bs are reserved for students who do masters in US. To do that you have to crack GREs and GMATs which evaluate more than basic algebra… My point — don’t abuse numbers!”

Another offered a more “real-world” test: “You are planning a trip and need to budget for fuel costs. Your car’s fuel efficiency is 30 miles per gallon, and the distance to your destination is 450 miles. If the price of gasoline is $3 per gallon, how much will you spend on gasoline for the trip?”

A different user bluntly wrote, “Lol x = 2. It takes less than 5 seconds… H-1Bs can’t do that simple equation?”

Calling out the broader implication, one person said, “This is absurd. I’ve worked with plenty H-1B folks and they are all skilled in STEM and highly motivated. We have legit immigration issues. Your post is not helpful to that debate.”

While Balik’s posts reflected skepticism over how some skilled jobs are evaluated, the replies showcased pushback against what many saw as an unfair generalization of immigrant professionals in the U.S. tech ecosystem.