H1-B visa: ‘Like both sides of argument but...,’ What did Donald Trump say on US work permit? The controversy explained

H1-B visa: Donald Trump, who took office as the 47th US President, reaffirmed his support for the H1-B visa program saying that the country needs 'competent' and 'great' individuals to come to the US, and added ‘it can be achieved only through the visa program.’ The comment comes amid the onging debate around US work permit - whether Trump administration is planning to quash it.

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What did Donald Trump say on H1-B Visa?

On H1-B visas, US President Donald Trump said, “... I like both sides of the argument but I also like very competent people coming to our country, even if that involves them training and helping others that may not have the qualifications... About HB1, I know the program very well and I have used that program... We have to have quality people coming in... By doing that, we are expanding businesses that take care of everybody... ”

“We need great people to come to our country and we do that through the H1-B program...,” he further stressed

Why Trump's comments on H1-B is making news now?

During his previous administration, Trump enforced stricter regulations, however, the rules were later relaxed by the Biden administration. With Trump's return to the presidency, there are apprehensions that the H1-B visa programme could shift again.

However, this is not the first time, he extended his support for H1-B visa programme. Earlier last month, he told the New York Post, “I've always liked the [H1-B] visas. I have always been in favor of the visas; that's why we have them.”

What is H1-B Visa?

The H1-B is a temporary (non-immigrant) visa category that allows employers to petition for highly educated foreign professionals to work in “specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Jobs in fields such as mathematics, engineering, technology, and medical sciences often qualify.

What is the current debate around it?

The debate over H1-B visas and immigration policy intensified following Trump's announcement of Sriram Krishnan as the White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Krishnan had advocated for the removal of country caps in green card allocation to skilled immigrants.

A major divide emerged within the MAGA team in the United States last month as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who advocated for the expansion of the visa program for 'highly skilled workers', faced heavy backlash from within President-elect's base.

Notably, during Trump’s first term, his administration placed restrictions on H1-B visas, citing concerns about "abuse" and "economic strain." In 2016, Trump criticised the program, claiming it allowed companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. These restrictions were further tightened in 2020 due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.