Immigration lawyer Deepika Singh says Indians have educational edge over Americans

A Silicon Valley immigration lawyer has argued that Indian professionals on H-1B visas have an edge over some US workers because of India’s “strong” education system. This argument is a long-standing one in the debate over foreign workers in the US tech industry.Bay Area immigrant advocate speaking about the role of Indian immigrants in the US economy Deepika Singh He said the Indian community has played a major role in the development of the country through education, hard work and leadership in business.In an interview with GB News and US correspondent Steven Edginton, Deepika said: “I think, the Indian community has really helped the development of America, just because we come with a lot of academics, right? All Indians are highly educated, and I think we have always made a huge contribution to the American economy. If you look at many of our big companies, a lot of the CEOs are Indian.The discussion focused on the long-running dispute over H-1B visas, which allow US companies to hire skilled foreign workers, particularly in the technology sector. Most of the applicants for these visas are Indians or Chinese. MAGA supporters claim that such visas reduce opportunities for American workers.Asked by Singh whether Indian workers on H-1B visas are doing jobs that Americans cannot do, he said some foreign workers actually have advantages related to India’s educational culture.Deepika said, “Some of them, yes. The education system in India is very strong. About me too, the focus has always been on academics, right? For us, when we were in school, our parents would say, ‘Hey, everything else can be taken care of, but just focus on your studies, right? So I think Indians are born like that. We adapt ourselves to quick learning, we can learn things easily.’She said: “I think the salary levels and all that… I would say we have a stronger education when it comes to learning, right? I think yes, Indians have an edge over some other applicants when it comes to filing for H-1B.”Singh rejected the notion that immigrants are displacing American workers. He said outsourcing and overseas appointments are only business decisions.She said: “There is a business justification for outsourcing jobs to India or sending work back to India, right? You should need it. I’m an American, I come to work on a daily basis, I do my job. I don’t feel like I’ve replaced an American worker here. I’ve come here, I’ve worked, I’ve gone through the whole system, and I’ve adapted to the environment, and I’m still working.”In September 2025, US President Donald Trump introduced a major policy change, imposing a fee of $100,000 on new H-1B visa petitions filed for workers outside the US. This was a huge jump from the earlier cost of a few thousand dollars.