Close Menu
POTUS News
  • Home
  • Health & Welfare
    • Environmental & Energy Policies
    • Historical & Cultural Context
    • Immigration & Border Policies
  • Innovation
    • International Relations
    • Judiciary & Legal Matters
    • Presidential News
    • Regional Spotlights
  • National Security
  • Scandals & Investigations
    • Social Issues & Advocacy
    • Technology & Innovation
  • White House News
    • U.S. Foreign Policy
    • U.S. Government Agencies
    • U.S. Legislative Updates
    • U.S. Political Landscape

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

Americans see child care costs as ‘major problem,’ AP-NORC poll finds

July 10, 2025

Amazon Web Services builds heat exchanger to cool Nvidia GPUs for AI

July 9, 2025

Bitcoin rises to fresh record above $112,000, helped by Nvidia-led tech rally

July 9, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
POTUS NewsPOTUS News
  • Home
  • Health & Welfare
    • Environmental & Energy Policies
    • Historical & Cultural Context
    • Immigration & Border Policies
  • Innovation
    • International Relations
    • Judiciary & Legal Matters
    • Presidential News
    • Regional Spotlights
  • National Security
  • Scandals & Investigations
    • Social Issues & Advocacy
    • Technology & Innovation
  • White House News
    • U.S. Foreign Policy
    • U.S. Government Agencies
    • U.S. Legislative Updates
    • U.S. Political Landscape
POTUS News
Home » Rivian’s hiring practices raise questions amid IL incentives, visa filings | Illinois
Environmental & Energy Policies

Rivian’s hiring practices raise questions amid IL incentives, visa filings | Illinois

potusBy potusJuly 9, 2025No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


(The Center Square) – Between 2022 and 2024, Rivian filed over 2,000 H-1B and 400 green card applications while receiving significant Illinois state incentives. A researcher says this raises concerns about replacing American workers and the use of taxpayer dollars.

According to MyVisaJobs, a site where immigrants explore U.S. work visa opportunities, 89 Rivian positions are listed in Normal, many in common tech roles like software developers and product managers.

“If Rivian said, ‘these 25 engineers are the best in the world, and only they can design this specific part of the truck,’ that would make sense under the H-1B program. But that’s clearly not what’s happening at this scale,” said Simon Hankinson, a senior researcher at The Heritage Foundation. “The same goes for Microsoft—filing over 6,000 petitions isn’t about unique talent, it’s mass labor recruitment and replacement.”

The 2,000 H-1B and 400 green card applications filed do not necessarily reflect the actual number of foreign workers hired, as some visa requests may be denied. Additionally, workers renewing, transferring or changing locations often require new labor condition applications.

Hankinson’s research shows most H-1B positions pay below the median wage, with only one in six reaching the top wage tier. 

“This program was created 30 years ago to bring in a limited number of specialty workers during shortages,” said Hankinson. “Now it’s being used as a cheap labor pipeline to replace American workers.”

Hankinson said recent U.S. graduates are often undercut in the job market, despite investing heavily in their education.

Rivian’s 30-year Illinois incentive deal totals $827 million, including $634 million in Reimagine Electric Vehicles in Illinois tax credits tied to retaining at least 6,000 jobs.

Rivian and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity did not respond to The Center Square’s requests for comment.

In a state home to multiple top-tier engineering and tech institutions like the University of Illinois, observers ask why more homegrown talent isn’t being hired for these roles.

Hankinson argued part of the problem is structural. He pointed to Illinois’ falling test scores and schools failing to prepare students for science, technology, engineering and math careers. Still, he noted plenty of qualified grads are ready to work if the pay is fair. 

“If you have to borrow $150,000 for your BA, MA or even a PhD, you need to be sure you can pay that loan off,” Hankinson explained. “If the labor market worked properly and didn’t rely on foreign workers, starting salaries for tech engineers or software designers would rise enough to cover those loans.”

Hankinson cited an example from Microsoft, which laid off over 2,300 workers between May and June in Washington—including 817 software engineers—while simultaneously filing more than 6,000 H-1B petitions for similar roles.

“For taxpayers, why should they be subsidizing other people’s jobs?” Hankinson asked. “They should be supporting jobs for their own state, their own kids, and local growth. All that information should be transparent so policymakers know where the money is going. Ultimately, the system should be designed to benefit the United States.”

Hankinson and others are calling for common-sense reforms: requiring companies to disclose workforce composition when receiving public funds, ending below-market wages for visa holders and restructuring the visa process to prioritize truly high-skilled workers.



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
potus
  • Website

Related Posts

Evers greenlights TIF exception for 2 new data centers in Wisconsin | Wisconsin

July 9, 2025

Louisiana law sets new rules for renewable energy projects | Louisiana

July 9, 2025

Federal timber executive order faces limited reach in Louisiana | Louisiana

July 9, 2025

Tuesday deadline approaching in Charleston, oil industry case | South Carolina

July 9, 2025

WATCH: Trump slams wind, solar; Pritzker predicts ‘big bill’ increases energy costs | Illinois

July 8, 2025

Public to weigh in on Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant amid federal grid warning | Virginia

July 8, 2025
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

U.S. Foreign Policy

Rio BRICS Summit Provokes Threats From Trump Amid U.S. Trade War, Tariff Deadline

July 8, 2025

This year’s BRICS leaders’ summit was relatively subdued compared with recent meetings of the bloc,…

Marco Rubio’s State Department Overhaul Is Long Overdue

July 8, 2025

Trump’s Middle East Lessons for Ending the Russia-Ukraine War

July 3, 2025

Gen Z Candidate Kat Abughazaleh Takes on Foreign Policy in Illinois Congressional Race

July 2, 2025
Editors Picks

Which US states could be hit hardest by Trump’s Canada and Mexico tariffs? | Business and Economy News

March 5, 2025

China sets 5 percent growth target despite trade war with US | Trade War News

March 5, 2025

As Trump roils stock markets, investors are betting big on Europe’s defence | Military

March 5, 2025

Climate crisis threatens Pakistan’s bees and honey trade | Climate Crisis News

March 4, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to POTUS News, your go-to source for comprehensive news and in-depth analysis on President Trump, the White House, and U.S. governance. Our mission is to provide timely, reliable, and detailed coverage on key political, economic, and social issues under President Trump’s administration, as well as the broader U.S. government.

Our Picks

Americans see child care costs as ‘major problem,’ AP-NORC poll finds

July 10, 2025

Amazon Web Services builds heat exchanger to cool Nvidia GPUs for AI

July 9, 2025

Bitcoin rises to fresh record above $112,000, helped by Nvidia-led tech rally

July 9, 2025

Amazon Web Services builds heat exchanger to cool Nvidia GPUs for AI

July 9, 2025

Bitcoin rises to fresh record above $112,000, helped by Nvidia-led tech rally

July 9, 2025

Perplexity launches AI-powered web browser for select subscribers

July 9, 2025

Online sales reach $7.9 billion in first 24 hours of Prime Day

July 9, 2025
© 2025 potusnews. Designed by potusnews.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.