Rivian’s hiring practices raise questions amid IL incentives, visa
filings
[July 10, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(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.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker during an announcement at Rivian in
Normal. - Governor JB Pritzker / Facebook
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.
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