Trump States He Supports Expanding H-1B Visa Categories

Synopsis

On January 22, President Trump expressed his dual stance on the H-1B visa debate, emphasizing his desire to broaden the program to include various skilled professions, including maitre d's and wine experts, while acknowledging ongoing discussions within the Republican party.

Key Takeaways

Trump is on "both sides" of the H-1B discussion.
He aims to expand the program to include various skilled roles.
Debate continues among Republicans regarding the program's effectiveness.
Most H-1B visas go to Indian nationals.
Trump believes in attracting top talent to the US.

Washington, Jan 22 (NationPress) President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he finds himself on "both sides" of the H-1B discussion, but his primary goal is to widen the categories of individuals permitted entry into the US under this program. This would include maitre d's, wine specialists, and high-quality waiters.

A heated debate is ongoing among Republicans, including members of the Trump administration, regarding the H-1B visa program. This initiative allows US employers to recruit foreign workers for specialty roles for a duration of three to six years, addressing the shortage of local talent. Some conservative voices contend that the program has been exploited to replace American workers with lower-wage foreign labor.

"I appreciate both sides of the discussion, but I also value bringing in highly skilled individuals into our nation, even if it requires them to train those who may lack their qualifications," Trump remarked during a press briefing on his first full day in office.

"But I don't want to halt progress. And I’m not merely referring to engineers," he added.

"I’m speaking about individuals across all tiers. … Maitre D's, wine connoisseurs, and even top-tier waiters. We need to attract the finest talent now."

Most H-1B visa holders arrive in the US for engineering roles. Referring to industry leaders like Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle; Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI; and Masayoshi Son, the Japanese billionaire, Trump said, "Then you have individuals like Larry, who requires engineers, and Masa along with Altman needing engineers more than ever before."

"By facilitating this," Trump elaborated about the H-1B visa program, "we're fostering business growth, which benefits everyone. So I’m somewhat on both sides of the debate, but my genuine belief is that we must allow truly capable individuals to enter our country."

The US grants 85,000 visas under the H-1B non-immigrant short-term work visa, both from abroad and among foreign students enrolled in US colleges and universities. A significant portion of these visas has been allocated to Indians.