'Not just engineers, I like very competent people coming to US', Donald Trump on H-1B visa
H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows employers to hire skilled workers from foreign countries to work in the US on a temporary basis. Most tech companies in the US have employed engineers from countries like India who are on H-1B visas.
US President Donald Trump has opened up about his views on one of the most contentious topics that have divided his Republican and MAGA fanbase ¨C the H-1B visa programme. Trump said he wants very competent people coming to the US, and the set of skilled professionals should not be limited to engineering.
'Both sides of the argument'
"I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do," Trump said.
CREDIT: REUTERS
"But I don't want to stop. And I'm not just talking about engineers. I'm talking about people at all levels. ¡ Maitre D's, wine, you know, experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters. You got to get the best people now," he added.
What is H-1B visa
H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows employers to hire skilled workers from foreign countries to work in the US on a temporary basis. Most tech companies in the US have employed engineers from countries like India who are on H-1B visas.
CREDIT: US VISA SERVICE
Who is eligible for H-1B visa
The US issues 85,000 H-1B visas to foreign workers and foreign students enrolled in US colleges and universities on a lottery basis. While the H-1B visa programme has undoubtedly helped US tech companies to hire the best talent from around the world, it has also come under criticism for undercutting American workers.
Trump's hardline stand on H-1B visa
The issue has been a highly polarising one and, in his first term in office, Trump was a vocal opponent of the H-1B visa programme, which he had also temporarily banned in 2020 to protect American jobs.
CREDIT: REUTERS
How H-1B split MAGA
While most Republicans are opposed to the H-1B visa programme, Trump's right-hand man Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had recently supported it, causing a massive rift within MAGA.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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