Vice President JD Vance called the H-1B visa program “completely broken” and expressed support for scrapping it entirely during an interview Thursday aboard Air Force Two.

Vance made the remarks to conservative commentator Jack Posobiec in a livestream broadcast by Real America’s Voice. He argued that companies across sectors, including technology and accounting firms, have exploited the program to undercut American wages rather than recruit exceptional talent.

“If you’re going to bring in an accountant making $45,000 a year to replace an accountant who is an American making $60,000 a year, that’s not you using the program to bring in a genius,” Vance said. “That’s you destroying American jobs and defrauding the American people.”

The vice president said the program has been “totally taken advantage of” and added that he would back its elimination while stressing the need to protect American workers in the meantime. He distinguished between legitimate use for highly skilled foreign professionals and efforts to reduce labor costs.

Vance defended the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions, which took effect in September 2025. He said the charge deters employers motivated primarily by cheaper foreign labor, noting that companies seeking only wage savings would not pay the fee.

The administration has also implemented a tiered selection system favoring higher-paid positions. Vance indicated these steps may fall short of fixing deeper problems.

Federal judges have blocked the fee in recent rulings, citing procedural issues with the rulemaking process. The comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of the program’s impact on domestic employment.

Vance urged supporters frustrated with the system to contact Congress for broader reforms.