Betting on Talent: Why America Should End the Diversity Visa and Champion the H-1B Program

By Chetna Gill

The United States stands at a critical juncture in its immigration story, with two programs—the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery and the H-1B visa system—shaping the nation’s economic, cultural, and diplomatic future. The DV program, a relic of 1990s idealism, aims to sprinkle cultural diversity by handing out visas to people from underrepresented countries. The H-1B visa, on the other hand, powers America’s economic engine by bringing in high-skilled professionals, especially from India’s tech hubs, to fill critical gaps in fields like technology and engineering. As the U.S. grapples with a competitive global economy and a complex relationship with India, a bold case emerges for scrapping the DV program entirely and prioritizing the H-1B system. This isn’t just about streamlining immigration—it’s about betting on economic strength, rewarding merit, and strengthening ties with a key ally like India, even as trade tensions and geopolitical rivalries test the partnership. By diving into recent trends, economic realities, and diplomatic stakes, it’s clear that ditching the DV program and boosting the H-1B system aligns with America’s need to stay competitive, fair, and forward-looking.
The DV program, born from the Immigration Act of 1990, hands out up to 50,000 visas annually to people from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S. Its goal? To diversify America’s immigrant mix, supposedly enriching the cultural tapestry. In 2024, it was flooded with over 19 million applications, with countries like Ghana, Nepal, and Uzbekistan leading the pack. Sounds noble, but the reality is messier. The program’s lottery system is a roll of the dice, plagued by fraud—2023 State Department audits flagged rampant fake applications—and it often delivers limited economic value. Unlike the H-1B visa, which in 2023 saw Indian professionals dominate with 72.3% of its 386,000 slots, fueling tech giants like Amazon and Infosys, the DV program excludes high-immigration countries like India, China, and Mexico. This shuts out talent from powerhouse nations while rewarding randomness over merit. In India, where global mobility is a growing demand, this exclusion fuels resentment, with New Delhi’s policymakers questioning why their citizens face such narrow paths to U.S. residency outside the H-1B grind. 
Contrast that with the H-1B program, also launched in 1990, designed to attract the world’s best and brightest. Capped at 85,000 visas—65,000 for general applicants, 20,000 for those with advanced U.S. degrees—it’s a lifeline for industries like tech, where Indian professionals shine. In 2024, nearly 400,000 applications were approved, mostly renewals, but the program’s lottery system and strict caps spark frustration. Indian tech workers, who fill 65% of computer-related roles, drive innovation at companies like Tesla and Google. Yet, critics like Commerce Secretary Lutnick in 2025 have called it a “scam,” pointing to outsourcing firms allegedly hiring cheaper labor. Reforms rolled out in January 2025 aim to fix this—higher wages, tighter job definitions, fewer entry-level slots—making the program leaner and fairer. For Indian workers, who face decades-long green card backlogs due to per-country caps, the H-1B remains a critical lifeline, despite its flaws. 
Why ditch the DV program? It’s a question of priorities in a cutthroat global economy. The DV’s random lottery, while dressed up as a diversity win, often brings in people with limited skills to fill high-demand roles. A 2024 American Immigration Council study claims DV recipients boost small businesses, with 40% starting ventures within five years, but these contributions pale compared to the H-1B’s role in driving tech innovation. The tech sector, a cornerstone of U.S. competitiveness, relies on H-1B workers to stay ahead of rivals like China. Scrapping the DV would free up resources—consular staff, funding, political capital—to expand and refine the H-1B program, ensuring America attracts top talent. The DV’s global inclusivity pitch, while warm and fuzzy, doesn’t hold up when you consider its inefficiencies and the urgent need to prioritize economic firepower over symbolic gestures. 
Then there’s the U.S.–India relationship, a high-stakes partnership clouded by tensions. India, with a $3.4 trillion GDP in 2024, is a vital ally in countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. But U.S. tariffs hitting 50% on Indian goods in 2025 and India’s continued Russian oil purchases have strained ties. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed in September 2025 that the H-1B program is a cornerstone of mutual economic gains. Yet, U.S. probes into Indian IT firms for alleged discrimination and social media calls to curb H-1B visas over India’s geopolitical moves are stoking fires. Doubling down on the H-1B program could be a diplomatic masterstroke, signaling to India that America values its talent and wants to deepen economic ties. The DV program, by excluding India, only fuels perceptions of unfairness—a sore point when India’s pushing for more global mobility for its citizens. 
The H-1B’s dominance by Indian nationals is a testament to India’s STEM juggernaut, but it’s also a diplomatic asset. Over 1.2 million Indians are stuck in the green card backlog as of 2023, with wait times stretching decades. A 2025 Blind survey found 16% of Indian H-1B holders fear deportation post-layoff, with 45% considering returning to India if forced out. A 31.2% drop in student visas for Indians in early 2025 adds to the sense that the “American dream” is slipping away. Expanding the H-1B cap or fast-tracking green cards for high-skilled workers could ease these frustrations, keeping talent in the U.S. and strengthening ties with India, especially as it bolsters its own tech sector via “Make in India.” The DV program, with its global focus and exclusion of India, offers no such leverage—it’s a diplomatic dead end, sidestepping the real issues in U.S.–India relations. 
Economically, the H-1B is a powerhouse. Indian professionals drive innovation in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, where 46% of Fortune 500 companies in 2025 were founded by immigrants or their children, per the American Immigration Council. The DV’s contributions—small businesses, consumer spending—are real but diffuse, lacking the concentrated impact of H-1B workers in high-growth sectors. Critics, like those in a 2025 Heritage Foundation report, point to H-1B wage suppression in some roles, but recent reforms address this by prioritizing higher-wage positions. Scrapping the DV would let policymakers focus on fine-tuning the H-1B, perhaps by raising caps or streamlining approvals, to keep America’s tech edge sharp. The DV’s fraud issues, noted in 2024 State Department reports, only drain resources that could be better spent on a program with proven economic clout.
Diplomatically, promoting the H-1B sends a clear signal to India, a partner poised to be the world’s third-largest economy by the early 2030s. The program’s prominence in bilateral talks, as seen in India’s 2025 defense of its benefits, makes it a linchpin for cooperation. Past U.S. policies, like the 24% H-1B rejection rate in 2018 under Trump’s first term, left scars in New Delhi. Expanding the H-1B could rebuild trust, especially as trade spats—like 2025’s tariff hikes—and India’s Russian oil deals fuel U.S. calls to curb the program. The DV, with its global lens and exclusion of India, does nothing to address these tensions. It’s a feel-good policy that’s out of touch with the strategic need to align immigration with economic and diplomatic priorities. A nod to India, like prioritizing H-1B reforms, could echo Prime Minister Modi’s 2019 Houston rally, where he celebrated the Indian diaspora’s influence alongside then-President Trump. 
At home, the H-1B aligns better with public sentiment than the DV’s random lottery. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found 60% of U.S. voters support legal immigrants filling jobs Americans avoid, but the H-1B’s focus on specialized roles fits this narrative better than the DV’s scattershot approach. The DV’s lack of merit-based criteria fuels perceptions of unfairness, while the H-1B’s link to tech giants like TCS, which secured thousands of visas in 2025, sparks debates about job displacement—think Disney’s 2015 H-1B controversy. But recent H-1B reforms, effective January 2025, tackle fraud and clarify job definitions, making it a stronger candidate for expansion than the DV, which remains bogged down by inefficiencies. 
Operationally, the DV is a mess. Fraudulent applications and a clunky lottery process, flagged in 2024, erode its credibility and strain consular resources. The H-1B, while not perfect, got a tune-up in 2025 with reforms like automatic F-1 student transitions and tighter specialty occupation rules. These changes provide stability, making the DV’s flaws a more urgent target for elimination. Cutting the program would redirect resources to bolster the H-1B, perhaps by raising caps or easing green card paths, ensuring the U.S. stays a magnet for top talent. 
Critics might argue that the DV’s diversity mission is worth saving, citing its role in balancing immigrant flows. With immigrants at 14% of the U.S. population in 2023—the highest since 1910—diversity sounds nice. But the program’s random nature and limited economic impact don’t justify its costs. The H-1B, despite a 2025 economic slowdown (73,000 jobs added in July, 95,000 tech layoffs in 2024), remains critical for tech competitiveness. Indian immigrants, the second-largest group after Mexicans, already dominate employment-based paths—expanding H-1B access would streamline high-skilled immigration without the DV’s baggage. 
In the end, scrapping the DV program and supercharging the H-1B is a no-brainer for a nation aiming to stay ahead in a fierce global race. By cutting a flawed, fraud-prone lottery and investing in a merit-based system that powers innovation, the U.S. can sharpen its economic edge, reward talent, and deepen ties with India. The H-1B, with its proven impact and diplomatic weight, is the future. The DV, a well-meaning but outdated experiment, is a distraction America can no longer afford. It’s time to bet on skill, strength, and strategic partnerships—a move as bold as it is necessary.

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