Who’s Afraid of the H-1B?

The H-1B is a white-collar work visa, essentially unchanged by Congress since 1990 – before the birth of the first text message, the first website, and 40% of our population.

Is the H-1B program an essential step on the far-too-difficult road from international student to new American? Is it a fair object for good-faith criticism and reform? And is it an increasingly loud dog-whistle for ugly nativist rhetoric? Yes.

We’ll also take the shine off Trump’s Gold Card scheme, explain why Elon Musk did not in fact “go to war” on the H-1B issue, and field a few excellent questions from our kids.

==Learn More==

Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (⁠palmer.media⁠). Read more about the topics in this episode:

* 1.8 Million in Employment-Based Green Card Backlog - Cato Institute (Aug. 29, 2023)

* Orlando judge tosses Disney IT outsourcing lawsuit - Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 14, 2016)

* The Outlook On H-1B Visas And Immigration In 2026 - Forbes (Jan. 26, 2026)

* How the Visa Debate for Foreign Workers Fuels Racism Against South Asians - New York Times (Feb. 16, 2026)

* Maga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policy - The Guardian (Dec. 27, 2024)

* H-1B Hiring Freezes by States Will Endanger Public Health and Hinder Economic Growth - FWD.us (Feb. 24, 2026)

* Lawsuit Argues Trump Gold Card Visa Program Prioritizes Wealth Over Ability - New York Times (Feb. 3, 2026)