Washington, April 16 -- US Vice-President JD Vance on Wednesday alleged widespread fraud in the H-1B visa system and credited the Trump administration with sharply reducing the number of such visas granted. Speaking at an event hosted by Turning Point USA, Vance said the administration had made "massive reductions" in what he described as fraudulent visas, asylum claims and H-1B approvals. "I'm very proud of what we've done...Massive reductions in fraudulent visas, massive reductions in fraudulent number of asylum cases, massive reductions in H-1B visas granted. We're making a lot of progress," he said. Vance, a key supporter of tighter immigration controls, pointed to measures such as the $100,000 H-1B visa application fee introduced in late 2025. He argued that reforms were needed to prevent companies from undercutting domestic workers. "When you guys graduate. I don't want you competing with a low-wage foreigner for your first job. I want a company to pay you a fair wage for a fair day's work. you really have to do reform of the H-1B system," he said, adding that the current system largely benefits large technology firms. Vance has previously criticised companies for continuing to rely on H-1B visas while cutting domestic jobs. In July 2025, he questioned Microsoft's applications for thousands of such visas amid layoffs. Responding to a question from an Indian-origin student about green card delays, Vance acknowledged contributions of immigrants while reiterating his concerns about the visa system. "You heard me talk about H-1B fraud. but there are people who have come to the US. who have enriched this country. I love my in-laws and they're great people. And they've been great contributors to the US," said Vance whose wife Usha is of Indian origin. "But one of the obligations of citizens is that you have to think about the best interest of the country and not the country you came from... The system only works if everybody thinks of themselves as an American," he added. Vance's remarks come amid broader political debate over the H-1B programme. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has directed state universities to stop using H-1B visas, while lawmakers such as Beth Van Duyne and Chip Roy have called for ending the programme. At the same time, President Donald Trump has signalled conditional support for skilled immigration. Last year, he said the US lacked "certain talents". "You can't take people off an unemployment line and say, 'I'm going to put you into a factory where we're going to make missiles.'"...