Washington DC: US President-elect Donald Trump has responded to the ongoing debate over the H-1B visa program, reaffirming that his position on the issue remains unchanged. He emphasized the importance of skilled workers in the U.S., reinforcing his stance.
Earlier, Elon Musk sparked a heated debate within the Republican camp when he vowed to “go to war” to defend the H-1B visa program.
When a reporter questioned him about a perceived shift in his views on H-1B visas, Trump responded, “I didn’t change my mind on H-1B visas.”
“I’ve always felt that we need the most competent people in our country. We need smart people coming into our country. We need a lot of people. We’re going to have jobs like we’ve never had before,” Trump stated at his New Year ‘s Eve party at the Mar-a-Lago resort.
In his previous posts on X, Musk strongly defended the H-1B visa program, highlighting its role in his own success and that of his companies. “The reason I’m in America, along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong, is because of H-1B,” Musk wrote.
What is the H-1B Visa?
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers. Several tech companies rely on it to bring in thousands of talented employees each year from countries like India and China. As a result, the sector has long advocated for more H-1B visas to attract highly skilled workers to the U.S.
The Biden administration recently announced plans to streamline the application process and address potential misuse by companies.
Trump Changing His Stance?
In 2022, Trump’s first administration restricted the H-1B visa program, calling it “unfair” to American workers and “very bad.”
However, Trump recently reiterated his support for the program, saying, “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them.”
DOGE Head Support for H-1B Visas
Elon Musk, who migrated to the U.S. on an H-1B visa himself, defended the program, stating, “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.”
His colleague, Vivek Ramaswamy, also advocated for the program, emphasizing that it prioritizes highly skilled individuals and excellence.
“Trump’s election hopefully marks the beginning of a new golden era in America, but only if our culture fully wakes up. A culture that once again prioritizes achievement over normalcy, excellence over mediocrity, nerdiness over conformity, and hard work over laziness,” Ramaswamy said.
‘We Need Smart People’: Trump Reiterates Stance as H-1B Visa Debate Heats Up world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World Breaking Headlines Today
