American support for India has collapsed over the last decade as patriots wake up to the H-1B visa scandal draining white-collar jobs from U.S. graduates, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.
Just 45 percent of Americans now view India favorably, while 50 percent hold an unfavorable view — a stunning reversal from the 64 percent favorability India enjoyed in 2008.
The sharpest opposition comes from younger Americans and Republican-leaning voters, Pew found. Among GOP voters, only 42 percent view India favorably, compared to 50 percent of Democrats.
“HALF OF ADULTS AGES 65 AND OLDER VIEW INDIA FAVORABLY, COMPARED WITH 42% OF THOSE AGES 18 TO 29.”
The declining favorability tracks directly with growing awareness of India’s domination of the H-1B program — the visa scheme that has placed roughly 1 million foreign contract workers into white-collar American jobs while U.S. college graduates face a 40 percent underemployment rate.
Roughly 70 percent of incoming H-1B workers are Indian, partly because prior H-1B workers have climbed into executive and hiring-manager roles at U.S. companies. Even Indian insiders admit the program is riddled with corruption.
Vivek Wadhwa, a Delhi-born Silicon Valley businessman, confirmed the systemic fraud in a recent interview. “First of all, you have people faking their resumes,” Wadhwa said. “So you have these body shops who bring people in, and it’s cheap labor. So it’s a fact. It happens.”
Wadhwa estimated that 20-25 percent of H-1B visa holders fall into the fraudulent category — workers brought in through staffing companies with fabricated credentials and resumes.
The H-1B, L-1, TN, and OPT visa programs combined keep at least 1.5 million foreign workers in jobs that should go to American graduates. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate for new U.S. college grads sits at roughly 40 percent, according to the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
For computer science graduates specifically — the field most targeted by H-1B displacement — the combined unemployment and underemployment rate is 26 percent.
The visa pipeline is also pumping billions of dollars in remittances and investment capital out of the United States and back to India, draining wealth from American communities.
A 44 percent plurality of likely voters say U.S. companies exploit the H-1B visa system, according to an October 2025 Cygnal poll. Just 18 percent said H-1B visas are “definitely essential for U.S. competitiveness.”
The shifting public mood is prompting GOP leaders to step up their opposition to the program — even as President Donald Trump pursues expanded trade with India.
In April 2026, Vice President JD Vance told an auditorium of college graduates they needed to hold Senate candidates accountable on the issue.
“EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SHOULD ASK THOSE SENATE CANDIDATES: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE H-1B VISA? WOULD YOU CO-SPONSOR THE VICE PRESIDENT’S LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT’S BASICALLY JUST SOMETHING THAT BIG TECH COMPANIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF?”
Vance added: “These are the things that you guys have to do, because I can’t keep these politicians honest by myself, I need your help.”
The Indian government and Indian-American advocacy groups have launched an extensive PR campaign to rebuild support among U.S. citizens. The Times of India reported in March that the Indian American Advocacy Council released a report titled “Stop Indian Hate” documenting alleged incidents of online abuse and discrimination targeting the Indian-American community from late 2025 through February 2026.
But the official campaign is often undermined by Indian nationalists posting aggressive content on social media. One account, BharatPatrio1, responded to the Pew survey by threatening American critics: “Nazi White Nationalists on X can cry and if they push it they will be crushed.”
The Pew survey signals a major shift in American public opinion — one that could reshape immigration policy debates heading into the 2026 midterms.
U.S. favorable views of India (Pew Research Center Global Attitudes surveys):
•2008: 64% favorable
•2009: 56% favorable
•2014: 55% favorable
•2015: 63% favorable
•2018: 51% favorable
•2023: 51% favorable
•2024: 43% favorable
•2025: 49% favorable
•2026: 45% favorable…— Dr Arvind Virmani (@dravirmani) August 18, 2026
45% of Americans view India favorably, while 50% view it unfavorably.
These ratings are some of the lowest since 2008, when we began asking this question. pic.twitter.com/A1l6Rhm8XM
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 17, 2026
