California (HELVILUX)- In an era when U.S. companies proudly champion the buzzwords of “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion,” a disturbing trend is emerging beneath the polished corporate language: American citizens are being explicitly excluded from jobs posted within the United States. The hypocrisy is as bold as it is astonishing. Several IT staffing firms many of which promote themselves as inclusive, diverse, and socially responsible are posting job ads that openly ban U.S. citizens and green-card holders from applying. And they are doing so while benefiting from federal protections, government contracts, and business certifications meant to advance fair opportunity.
One of the clearest examples comes from LanceSoft, a major IT staffing agency and one of the largest in the nation. A job post for a $60-per-hour technical support position in Santa Clara, California, initially appeared to be just another tech industry opening. Like many corporate postings, it began with a glowing tribute to diversity, stating that the firm embraces employees “of any race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation.” But buried under the noble rhetoric was a line that contradicted the very spirit of inclusion: “Candidates must hold an active H1B visa. No USC/GC.” The recruiter, Riyaz Ansari, made it clear that American citizens and green-card holders need not apply. Despite touting its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) status and its dedication to diversity, LanceSoft was actively banning the very population of the country in which it operates.
After inquiries from reporters, the ad was quickly removed, but its implications remained. This was not an isolated case. ‘The Washington Free Beacon’ identified more than two dozen similar job postings since 2024, spread across platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Nvoids. These postings often contained language such as “H1-B only,” “No USC,” or even the blunt “NO US Citizen.” Companies including Kasmo, Realign, Empower Professionals, Tekgence, and ARK Solutions were found to be engaging in similar patterns, some restricting roles exclusively to holders of H-1B visas, others allowing a limited range of foreign visas but still excluding American workers outright.
The irony is impossible to ignore. Many of the firms engaged in these practices openly advertise themselves as socially responsible, minority-owned businesses dedicated to promoting diversity and equity. In reality, some of them use these labels as shields while participating in a labor strategy that actively shuts out American workers. Several of these companies are run by leadership teams composed largely of Indian nationals, an unsurprising demographic reality given that Indian nationals make up roughly 70 percent of all H-1B visa holders. This concentration is not an accusation; it is a documented statistic from U.S. immigration data. The result, however, is a labor ecosystem where certain staffing firms strongly favor a specific foreign labor pipeline while sidelining qualified American applicants.
The H-1B visa program was never intended to be used this way. When created in 1990, the program was designed to help companies find skilled foreign workers when no qualified American worker could be found. It was a supplement, not a replacement. Yet in practice, the program has slowly shifted into a mechanism for companies to hire cheaper labor while avoiding the responsibilities and costs associated with hiring domestic employees. Critics argue that some companies no longer even attempt to recruit Americans; instead, they use the H-1B program as a dependable stream of foreign workers who can be paid less, controlled more easily, and retained longer because their visa status ties them to their employer.
Adding to the controversy is the role of MBE certification. Several of the companies found to be excluding American citizens, including LanceSoft and Empower Professionals, hold Minority Business Enterprise status. This gives them preferential access to government contracts funded by federal, state, and local taxpayers. In one case, the City Colleges of Chicago awarded a contract to LanceSoft after concluding the firm met the college’s MBE participation requirements. Thus, a firm financially benefiting from public funds and diversity mandates was simultaneously posting job ads that prohibited American citizens from applying. The contradiction is as troubling as it is blatant.
Legal experts have been clear that these practices are not only unethical but illegal. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued guidance stating that job ads showing preference for specific visa holders—such as “H-1B only”—constitute evidence of national-origin discrimination. Andrea Lucas, the EEOC chair, stated that a “shocking number” of companies continue to express illegal preferences for visa workers. Similarly, the Immigration and Nationality Act explicitly forbids discrimination based on citizenship status. Enforcement actions have occurred: Meta paid $25 million in 2023 to settle allegations of excluding U.S. workers, and companies such as IBM, Ikon Systems, Technology Hub, and American CyberSystems have all faced fines for similar violations. Despite this, enforcement remains inconsistent, and the job ads continue to appear.
Supporters of the current H-1B system argue that it brings top talent to the United States—a claim echoed by figures like former President Donald Trump and tech leaders such as Elon Musk. But a growing faction within both conservative and progressive circles disagrees. Some Republicans, such as Senator Eric Schmitt, point to cases like Disney’s 2015 scandal, where American workers were laid off and replaced by H-1B employees—as evidence that the system is being abused. Meanwhile, left-leaning think tanks like the Economic Policy Institute have documented how outsourcing giants such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services use the visa program primarily to cut labor costs, not to acquire elite talent.
The issue at hand is not immigration, nor is it ethnicity. It is the question of whether American citizens are being systematically excluded from jobs in their own country by companies that have discovered financial incentives in hiring foreign workers instead. When a job listing inside the United States states “No U.S. Citizens,” the problem is not cultural diversity, it is the weaponization of a visa program against the domestic workforce.
The heart of the controversy is simple: American workers are being shut out. Companies are benefiting from taxpayer dollars and diversity credits while actively discriminating against the very people those systems were designed to uplift. And unless enforcement becomes more consistent and regulations are strengthened, more firms may quietly follow this model, confident that no one will stop them.
For years, America has represented opportunity, both for its own citizens and for those who immigrated seeking a better life. But the emerging pattern among certain IT staffing firms suggests a new and disturbing reality: some of the very companies that once benefited from the American Dream are now denying that dream to American workers themselves. The question that remains is whether policymakers, regulators, and the public are prepared to confront this growing trend before it becomes an accepted norm.
In a startling revelation, a series of job postings from some of the largest IT firms in the United States have come under scrutiny for explicitly excluding American citizens from applying for high-paying roles, all while proudly waving the flag of “diversity” and “inclusivity.” The irony is hard to ignore: Companies touting their commitment to a diverse workforce are systematically discriminating against U.S. workers, all in the name of cheap labor and a visa program that, in theory, was designed to supplement—not replace—the domestic workforce.
The New “American Dream”: Excluding Americans
A job listing posted by LanceSoft, a major IT staffing firm based in the U.S., opened with the usual spiel of diversity and inclusivity. The position was for a technical support role, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara, California. The pay? A decent $60 per hour. But as you read further, a disturbing detail emerged: “No USC/GC for this role.” In plain English, U.S. citizens and green card holders need not apply. The job was restricted exclusively to individuals holding an active H1B visa.
This exclusion wasn’t a mere oversight or an error. It was a conscious decision to sideline American workers in favor of foreign nationals on temporary work visas. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. The Washington Free Beacon uncovered over two dozen similar job postings from various tech firms since 2024, all appearing to bar U.S. citizens from applying for jobs that many American workers would be qualified for.
What’s more, these firms have been able to mask their discriminatory practices behind the façade of “diversity.” Some of the firms involved are even minority-owned businesses that boast their Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification—a status that gives them preferential access to government contracts, even as they exclude U.S. workers from their hiring pools. The irony? These are the same businesses that rely on the very government funds they’re circumventing by hiring foreign nationals exclusively.
H-1B Visa Program: A Tool for Exploitation
The H-1B visa program, created by Congress in 1990, was initially designed to address labor shortages in high-skilled fields like technology and medicine. The idea was to allow U.S. companies to hire foreign talent when qualified American workers weren’t available. But, three decades later, it has become a broken system—one that has morphed into a tool for cost-cutting and exploitation, rather than an effort to fill genuine skill gaps.
Critics argue that, rather than supplementing the U.S. workforce, the H-1B program is being abused by companies looking to hire cheaper labor. By hiring H-1B workers, firms can pay below-market wages, avoid paying for benefits, and—perhaps most significantly—ensure a stable, long-term workforce since the visa ties foreign employees to their employers. This reduces turnover and gives companies greater control over their workforce.
The result? U.S. citizens are left out of the picture entirely, and the visa system is used to undercut wages, all while keeping American workers at bay. What’s even more disconcerting is that some companies are going as far as explicitly banning U.S. citizens from applying for roles. One such example comes from Kasmo, a Texas-based IT firm, which posted a job on Glassdoor stating bluntly, “NO US Citizen” need apply. Not even a “no USC” abbreviation. Just a straightforward declaration that Americans need not bother.
Diversity or Hypocrisy? The Cultural Double Standard
It’s difficult to reconcile these practices with the rhetoric of diversity and inclusivity that many of these companies espouse. On the one hand, firms like LanceSoft, Realign, and Kasmo boast about the diversity of their teams. They proudly state that they embrace employees of any race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion. But when it comes to U.S. citizens, they’re suddenly a lot less inclusive.
Instead of encouraging diversity, these firms are perpetuating a form of “ethnic nepotism” that favors foreign workers, often from specific countries—most notably, India—while systematically excluding qualified American applicants. It’s a form of national-origin discrimination that, ironically, many of these firms have turned into a profitable business model.
The Minority-Owned Business Paradox
Many of these firms, such as Empower Professionals and Tekgence, are minority-owned, with a large percentage of their leadership being Indian nationals. This is a key factor because it grants them Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification, which gives them preferential access to government contracts. This, however, creates a disturbing irony: These firms, while benefiting from diversity policies, are increasingly turning to practices that undermine the job opportunities of U.S. workers, particularly American citizens who would be qualified for these roles.
Indian nationals, who make up the bulk of H-1B visa holders—70% in 2024—are the largest group benefiting from this situation. The growing concentration of these businesses and their preferential hiring for H-1B workers has been called out as a form of ethnic nepotism by critics, even as these same firms claim to be upholding diversity values.
This creates a troubling pattern: While the H-1B program was intended to address labor shortages in tech and medicine, these firms are exploiting it to drive down wages and hire foreign nationals at the expense of domestic talent. This has a direct impact on American workers, as job opportunities are being quietly shifted to non-citizens while U.S. citizens are explicitly excluded in job ads.
The Legal Fallout: A Failure to Enforce
Despite the blatant discrimination on display, enforcement remains woefully inadequate. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has warned that discriminatory job ads—like those excluding U.S. citizens—are violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Yet, these practices continue, largely unchecked.
Though the Justice Department has taken action in some cases—such as Meta’s $25 million settlement in 2023 for posting ads that deterred U.S. workers—companies continue to find ways to exploit the system. It’s no surprise that firms like LanceSoft quickly removed the offending job posting once they were contacted by the press, but how many others remain active on job boards without facing consequences?
It’s clear that while some employers may be fined for blatant violations, the system is deeply flawed, and there are countless firms that will continue to get away with this kind of discrimination, at least until enforcement is more robust.
The National Debate: Is the H-1B Program Broken?
The growing trend of H-1B discrimination has sparked a wider debate about the program’s legitimacy and future. Former President Donald Trump and others on the right have long argued that the H-1B program is being abused to replace American workers, especially by large outsourcing companies that have exploited it to bring in cheap labor from abroad.
And while some progressives argue that the program doesn’t even fulfill its intended purpose—bringing in the “best and brightest”—most agree that the current system is rife with exploitation. A 2015 report from the Economic Policy Institute found that many of the leading employers of H-1B workers, such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, primarily use the program as a tool to cut labor costs, not to find top talent.
Even within conservative circles, there’s a growing consensus that the H-1B program is broken. The recent surge in job ads specifically excluding U.S. citizens has only intensified the push for reform. As it stands, the system is failing to protect American workers, who are being sidelined in favor of cheaper, more easily exploited foreign labor.
The Bottom Line: A Dream Stolen
In a world where companies like LanceSoft, Kasmo, and Tekgence are thriving by excluding U.S. citizens from their job pools, it’s hard not to feel that the American Dream—once a beacon of opportunity for all—has been co-opted. Ironically, it’s often the very immigrants who once sought the promise of opportunity on U.S. soil who are now pulling up the ladder behind them, denying others the chance to climb.
While these businesses might claim that they are offering “diversity,” what they are truly offering is the opportunity to profit off of foreign labor, while keeping American workers out. The real diversity they are promoting seems to be one where U.S. citizens are systematically excluded from participating in the workforce they helped build.
As these firms continue to exploit the H-1B visa system, they’re not just hurting American workers—they’re undermining the very ideals that have made the U.S. a global leader in innovation and opportunity. The dream that once promised prosperity for all is now a far-off reality for many, replaced by a harsh new reality where the American worker is left to watch as opportunities slip away—unnoticed and unchecked.
Is this what “diversity” has come to in America?
