Caught between a visa and a job: An American woman exposes how the H-1B system exploits both immigrants and US workers

For years, the H-1B visa has been held up as a symbol of America’s openness to global talent. It’s a program designed to attract the “best and brightest” from around the world. Tech CEOs call it essential for innovation; policymakers frame it as a bridge between global education and US opportunity.

But one American woman, married to an H-1B worker from India , says the reality is far more exploitative than inspirational. Her candid Reddit post, viewed thousands of times, exposes a system that, in her words, is “not just flawed, it’s rigged.”

From opportunity to trap: A personal storyHer husband came to the US not from hardship but from privilege. “Not poor. Not desperate,” she wrote. “His family was more well-off than mine. Upper middle class, educated, no trauma sob story.” He came to America to study, to work, and to build a life: a path millions of skilled professionals take every year.

Yet even with degrees and credentials, he found himself caught in what she describes as a “modern indentured labour” loop. Tied to one employer for years, unable to switch jobs without bureaucratic risk, and afraid to negotiate pay or conditions, he, like many H-1B workers, became part of a system that limits mobility while promising opportunity.

According to her, the H-1B is less a bridge to success and more a trapdoor that locks workers into dependency. Many are placed in roles far below their qualifications: help desk operations, QA testing, and routine IT maintenance. “Most of these roles aren’t elite,” she wrote. “They’re basic jobs local grads could do. But H-1Bs will do it for less, and they can’t negotiate. That’s the whole point.”
Corporations and body shops gaming the systemAt the heart of her criticism are the outsourcing giants including names like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Cognizant. These firms, often referred to as “body shops,” dominate the H-1B lottery, submitting thousands of applications each year to secure a steady flow of workers for client projects.

Once in the US, many H-1B employees are subcontracted to major companies for routine IT support, administrative functions, or data management — roles that hardly qualify as “specialised.” The woman’s post alleges that these firms manipulate the system by flooding the lottery with shell applications and low-balling wages.

“This isn’t about innovation,” she wrote. “It’s about cheap labor, corporate control, and keeping everyone replaceable.”

The system, she says, is structured to keep workers quiet. If they complain, switch jobs, or demand fair pay, they risk losing their visa and being forced to leave the country. That dependency, critics argue, creates a compliant workforce, which is ideal for companies and disastrous for workers.
The wage problem: Certified exploitationOfficial data supports her claims. According to the US Department of Labor , nearly 60% of certified H-1B jobs in recent years have been approved at the lowest possible wage tier. Employers are legally allowed to pay foreign workers less than the market rate if the position is classified at a “Level 1” or “entry-level” skill.

The result: immigrant workers are underpaid, and US employees face downward pressure on wages. “I’ve seen jobs handed over to H-1B hires while actual US workers are forced to train them on the way out,” she wrote. “Yes, that really happens. It’s disgusting.”

For American employees, the system translates to replacement, stagnation, and insecurity. For immigrants, it means being “lucky” to stay employed, even when their wages and roles don’t match their qualifications.
A two-tier workforceThe woman’s account paints a picture of a labor market split down the middle. On one side, American workers see opportunities vanish as companies chase lower costs. On the other hand, immigrant professionals find themselves trapped, underpaid, overqualified, and unable to leave their jobs.

Even those who arrive on merit and skill end up constrained by visa dependency. The risk of losing status discourages them from reporting workplace abuse or seeking better opportunities. “It’s not opportunity,” she said. “It’s modern indentured labor.”

This dual exploitation benefits only one group: corporations and billionaires. “You think Elon Musk wants more H-1Bs because he believes in diversity?” she asked. “No. It’s because the system keeps both sides under control — Americans desperate, immigrants compliant.”
Reforming the system: Her fixes for fairnessIn her post, she calls for reforms that put workers at the center of the visa system:

• Raise wage minimums: H-1B visas should only be issued for roles that pay above-market wages to ensure they’re truly specialised.
  
• Ban outsourcing firms: Companies that do not directly employ workers should not be allowed to sponsor visas.
  
• Simplify mobility: Workers should be able to switch jobs freely without risking visa cancellation.
  
• Screen for skill: Applications should prioritise advanced expertise, not volume or corporate influence.

She insists the H-1B debate is not about immigration, but about labour rights. “This version of immigration was never designed to empower workers,” she concluded. “It was designed to control them.”
Why this mattersThe H-1B program brings in around 85,000 new workers each year — a small but influential slice of the US labour market. While it supports innovation and fills genuine skill gaps in some industries, stories like this highlight its darker side: corporate manipulation, worker exploitation, and systemic inequality.

As policymakers in Washington debate visa reforms, the voices of those living inside the system, both immigrant workers and the Americans who see its effects, remain crucial.

This woman’s account cuts through the statistics and policy language to reveal the human cost of a system that too often rewards profit over fairness. For her and countless others, the H-1B visa isn’t a bridge to opportunity, it’s a maze of control.