Indian-American entrepreneur and technology commentator Vivek Wadhwa has called for the United States to scrap the H-1B visa program and replace it with a new skilled-immigration system, arguing that the decades-old program has become vulnerable to abuse, labor arbitrage and political backlash.Vivek Wadhwa calls for end of H-1B era, says US needs a new skilled immigration system. (X/@wadhwa)In a post on X, Wadhwa said the H-1B program had played an important role in making the US a global leader in technology and innovation but argued that its problems now require more than incremental reforms.Wadhwa says H-1B system has become ‘badly corrupted’Wadhwa said the H-1B program initially served an important purpose by helping US companies attract highly skilled workers from around the world. But he argued that the system has increasingly been exploited by companies that use the visa program for labor arbitrage.He specifically criticized the role of so-called body shops, saying some companies learned to manipulate the system while skilled immigrants became trapped in lengthy green-card backlogs.Also read: September 2026 US Visa Bulletin: Latest update brings relief for Indians, but there’s a catch - here’s what to knowAccording to Wadhwa, immigrants waiting years or even decades for permanent residency can become heavily dependent on their employers because changing jobs may put their immigration status at risk.He also pointed to the political backlash surrounding the program, including what he described as xenophobia and race-based rhetoric.Wadhwa's argument is not simply for tighter H-1B restrictions. He wants Congress to abolish the existing system and build a new framework aimed at attracting exceptional global talent.New US visa system should target top global talentUnder Wadhwa's proposed approach, the US would continue competing aggressively for scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and researchers from around the world.But he said the focus should shift toward people who can create businesses, jobs and technological advantages for the US rather than workers brought in primarily through labor-cost arbitrage.He also called for immigrants to have greater freedom and security rather than spending years in uncertain immigration status.Wadhwa said the US should establish a genuine startup visa that would allow entrepreneurs who create employment-generating companies to establish themselves in the country.Also read: Could working in the US after graduation get costlier? New OPT $100,000 fee proposal reaches White House for reviewHis proposal comes amid a broader debate in the US over the future of employment-based immigration, including concerns about H-1B abuse, wages, outsourcing and the long waits faced by employment-based green-card applicants.India could benefit from an H-1B resetOne of the more striking parts of Wadhwa's argument was his view that India could emerge as an unexpected beneficiary if the US fundamentally restructures its skilled immigration system.He argued that if fewer highly skilled Indians leave the country, more could remain in India to build companies, create jobs and strengthen the country's technology and innovation ecosystem.Wadhwa also rejected the idea that opposition to H-1B necessarily amounts to hostility toward Indians. He argued that criticism should instead focus on the alleged abuse of the immigration system.At the same time, he acknowledged that some American workers had been disadvantaged by the H-1B system and said that concern should be taken seriously.A major shift from reform to replacementWadhwa's proposal represents a more sweeping position than calls to simply reform H-1B rules or increase oversight of employers.His central argument is that the US should preserve its ability to attract the world's best talent while abandoning a visa structure he believes has become too vulnerable to abuse.“The H-1B program served America well for decades,” Wadhwa wrote, arguing that the time has come for the US to move to a new system.