Concerns over foreign hiring at US public universities have resurfaced after visa-related job postings at the University of Michigan triggered criticism from MAGA supporters, who questioned whether American workers were being overlooked.
The debate intensified after independent journalist Chris Brunet shared screenshots on X showing two H-1B visa job notices from the university. The listings advertised an Intermediate Software Developer position with an annual salary of $72,100 and an Intermediate Database Administrator role offering $75,000.
Sharing the posts, Brunet wrote: “The University of Michigan has filed 2 notices of intent to hire H-1B workers. Intermediate Software Developer, salary: $72,100. Intermediate Database Administrator, salary: $75,000. No American software or database developers were qualified for these positions.”
The job notices were linked to departments on the university’s Ann Arbor campus, including the Office of Medical Student Education and the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine.
Many social media users argued that publicly funded institutions should prioritise domestic workers, particularly at a time when competition for technology and professional jobs in the United States remains high.
The controversy also centres on the H-1B visa programme, which allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers when qualified domestic candidates are unavailable. Indian and Chinese nationals account for the majority of H-1B visa recipients.
The issue gained further attention after Brunet highlighted previous H-1B hiring notices at the University of Michigan for positions such as Business Analysts, with salaries ranging from $73,000 to $112,763.
His reporting also cited similar H-1B recruitment notices at other public universities, including the University of Arkansas, Indiana University and the University of Maryland. At Indiana University, the notices included a Software Engineer role with a salary of around $74,000 and a Data Analyst position paying approximately $85,000.
Documents previously shared by Brunet also indicated that the University of Michigan intended to recruit three Business Analysts through the H-1B visa programme.
