‘It’s a scam’: Trump’s commerce secretary calls for change in Green Card, H1-B visa system | World News

US President Donald Trump’s adminration is planning for a major update in the H1-B visa and green card system with a more selective and wage-based model as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the current lottery-based H-1B system a “scam” that takes away jobs from American workers.
Commerce Secretary Lutnick criticised the current form of H1-B visa system and stated that American businesses should be focused on hiring American workers, instead of non-American people.
During an interview with Fox News, Lutnick said “The current H-1B visa system is a scam that lets foreign workers fill American job opportunities. Hiring American workers should be the priority of all great American businesses.”

The current H1B visa system is a scam that lets foreign workers fill American job opportunities.
Hiring American workers should be the priority of all great American businesses. Now is the time to hire American. pic.twitter.com/l27HEhF7C3
— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) August 26, 2025
Lutnick on Tuesday said he is directly involved in the process to bring in the proposed changes in the H1-B visa system allotment which will have a more selective and a wage based model, instead of the incumbent lottery system. “We’re going to change that program because that’s terrible. We’re going to change the green card,” Lutnick said.
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Attacking the system to allot green cards, Lutnick noted that an average American earns $75,000 a year while the average green card recipient earns $66,000 a year. “Why are we doing that? It’s like picking the bottom core,” he added.
Mentioning President Trump’s project of Gold Card, Lutnick said “That’s why Donald Trump is going to change it, that’s where the Gold Card is coming, and with that we’re going to start picking the best people, and it’s time for that.”
In the interview, Lutnick highlighted that the new immigration policy would focus on attracting skilled and wealthy individuals. Providing an update regarding Trump Gold Card, the commerce secretary said the demand for the gold card is very high with about 250,000 applicants which in turn generates up to $1.25 trillion in investment.