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Nalin Haley, son of Indian-origin Republican leader Nikki Haley, has once again spoken against the H-1B visa programme, used by Indian techies. In a recent post on X, he argued that India's recent request to the US to resolve H-1B visa delays was driven by the government's eye on the remittance money.
Nalin Haley criticised India's push against H-1B visa delays, arguing that New Delhi was only interested in remittance money from visa-holding professionals. (Image: X/Nalin_Haley)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 30, 2025 18:20 IST
Nalin Haley, the son of former India-origin US ambassador to the United Nations and 2024 Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, has targeted the government in India in his fresh attack on the H-1B visa programme, which is widely used by Indian professionals working in the United States. Nalin alleged that the Indian government was raising the H-1B issue with the Trump administration because it is interested in the remittances sent to India by the tech professionals.
Nalin Haley, whose grandfather went to the US from Punjab, criticised the Indian government for raising the issue of H-1B visa delays with the US, arguing that India's concern was driven by a desire to benefit financially from remittances and not by the welfare of affected professionals. "You can’t be stranded in your own country. The Indian government is only complaining cuz they want their remittance money," he wrote on X.
Nalin Haley's criticism is the latest in a series of posts on X, where Nalin had called for a complete ban on H-1B visas, arguing that partial delays do not go far enough. "Delaying visas is good but not good enough. We need a complete H-1B visa ban," he wrote, arguing that his position was rooted in prioritising American workers.
Though from a family with an immigration history, Nalin has taken a hard anti-immigration stance, and criticised the H-1B visa programme.
INDIA'S PUSH AMID H-1B VISA INTERVIEW DELAYS BY US
Nalin Haley's remarks follow India’s request to the US to address prolonged delays in H-1B visa processing, which have left many Indian professionals unable to return to their jobs. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, numerous visa holders have been stranded after travelling home for mandatory visa stamping. Many were later informed that their appointments had been postponed from December 2025 to as late as October 2026.
"The Government of India has received multiple representations from Indian nationals facing delays and difficulties in scheduling or rescheduling US visa appointments. While visa matters fall under the sovereign domain of the issuing country, India has raised these concerns with the US authorities in New Delhi and Washington DC," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said at a press briefing.
The delays have left H-1B workers in limbo, barring re-entry into the US without fresh visa stamps and raising doubts over whether they can continue working remotely from India. Many had travelled during the holiday season, only to discover that their visas were no longer valid for return, causing them to be stranded in their home countries away from their jobs and families. Additional delays triggered by expanded social media screening have pushed visa stamping timelines in India to at least six months.
The disruption comes amid a broader crisis in the H-1B programme, marked by deferred interviews, stranded visa holders, and warnings from employers and immigration experts urging professionals to avoid foreign travel and not to lose their current jobs.
NALIN HALEY'S ANTI-IMMIGRATION AND ANTI-H-1B STANCE
Nalin came into public attention after advocating for ending mass immigration to the US, which led British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan to remind him his own grandfather had immigrated to the US in 1969. He has also attempted to distance himself from his Indian origin roots, arguing that his loyalty is to the US alone.
He has also consistently argued that the H-1B programme disadvantages American graduates in a weak job market. Speaking earlier to Fox News, he said many of his peers remain unemployed despite strong academic backgrounds. "We are seeing kids graduate with six figures in debt and not having a job to show for it," he said, adding that none of his close friends had secured employment more than a year after graduation.
The comments reinforce Nalin's stance as a firebrand critic of immigration and skilled worker visas. His statements continue to spark debate over the future of the H-1B programme and the role of foreign professionals in the US economy.
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Published On:
Dec 30, 2025
