California, Jan 1 (NationPress) Among the influential individuals seeking to win over US President-elect Donald Trump, few have moved to Mar-a-Lago as swiftly as the leaders of major tech firms, including the heads of Google and Meta, according to local reports.
Silicon Valley has a significant reason to seek Trump's support: the future of the H-1B visa program, which allows skilled foreign workers such as computer scientists and engineers to come to the United States, is uncertain, as highlighted in a report released on Tuesday.
The backing for maintaining the H-1B program from Elon Musk, a close ally of the incoming president, has sparked backlash among many of Trump's MAGA base, who predominantly oppose immigration. However, many business leaders view the continuation of this visa program as vital for California's economy and the broader American economy, as reported by the Xinhua news agency and cited by the Los Angeles Times.
California stands out as the leading state utilizing the H-1B visa. In the fiscal year 2024, over 9,600 employers in California applied for at least one H-1B visa, with a total of 78,860 visa applications for new and ongoing employment being approved, based on data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The applications span various skilled professions across different sectors, including nurses and science educators. However, the top ten recipients of H-1B visas in California, which represent nearly one-third of all approvals, are primarily dominated by tech companies, especially those located in the Bay Area.
Previously, Trump expressed his support for H-1B visas, countering opposition to the program which has divided his right-wing supporters from advisors like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
"It's a great program," he stated during a phone interview with the New York Post on Saturday. He continued, "I have always supported the visas; that’s why we have them. I own many properties where I’ve utilized H-1B visas." He emphasized, "I have been a proponent of H-1B visas and have utilized them frequently," he told the newspaper, which is part of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp.
Trump has advocated for reforming the immigration system to adopt a merit-based approach, similar to the points systems in Canada and Australia, which prioritize educational and professional qualifications.
