H1-B Controversy: University of Michigan sparks backlash over hiring software developer at $75,000 salary; ‘No American is qualified’
Concerns over foreign recruitment at U.S. public universities have resurfaced after new visa-related job postings at the University of Michigan sparked debate among “MAGA” critics, questioning whether American workers are being overlooked.The debate reignited after independent journalist Chris Brunet shared a screenshot of the university’s two recent H-1B visa job notices on X. Job openings show an annual salary of $72,100 for “mid-level software developer” and $75,000 for “mid-level database administrator.”Brunet showed the posts and wrote: “The University of Michigan has submitted two notices of intent to hire H-1B workers. Mid-level software developer, salary: $72,100. Mid-level database administrator, salary: $75,000. No U.S. software or database developers are qualified for these positions. “The job announcements are associated with various departments at the university’s Ann Arbor campus, including the Office of Medical Student Education and the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine.Many social media users believe public funding agencies should prioritize domestic workers, especially at a time when competition for jobs in tech and professional fields remains fierce in the United States. Controversy also surrounds the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers from abroad when domestic candidates are unavailable. Indian and Chinese workers receive the majority of H-1B visas.There has been further focus on the university’s earlier recruitment drive. Brunet has previously shared similar H-1B notices of interest for positions such as business analysts, with salaries ranging from $73,000 to $112,763. American Bazaar also reported on the posts.His coverage also includes other public universities, including the University of Arkansas, Indiana University and the University of Maryland. At Indiana University, he cited H-1B notices calling for salaries of about $74,000 for software engineer positions and about $85,000 for data analyst positions. In March, documents shared by Brunette also indicated that the University of Michigan intended to hire three business analysts through the same visa route.
