In 2023, American colleges graduated 134,153 citizens or green card holders with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in computer science. That same year, our federal government handed out work permits to at least 110,098 foreign workers in computer occupations through just three major guest worker programs. That’s equal to 82% of our graduating class who are guaranteed jobs even before any Americans walk across the stage for their diploma.
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The H-1B visa program has exploded from 363,503 workers in 2011 to 685,117 in 2022—an 81% increase. Between 60% and 70% of these visas go to workers in computer occupations, directly taking entry-level positions from American graduates.
But H-1B is just the beginning. The STEM Optional Practical Training program allows international students to work for up to three years after graduation, with 30% of participants being computer science majors. Employers receive a 15% discount for every STEM OPT they hire because they don’t have to pay Social Security or Medicare taxes, while government labor protection or oversight is minimal. Meanwhile, the H-4 EAD program gives work permits to spouses of H-1B workers, who can work any job at any wage, with 63.75% working in computer science fields.
These aren’t random policy decisions—they’re deliberate choices to prioritize foreign workers over American students. We’re literally training our own replacements and calling it progress.