President Trump expressed his support for the H-1B visa program in a recent interview, saying he believes in it and has used it at his companies many times. This is a shift from his stance during his previous term, as his administration had worked to reduce the number of H-1B visas granted each year. However, those efforts were blocked by legal challenges.

The debate over the H-1B program continues among Trump’s supporters. Some, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were appointed by Trump to help reduce inefficiencies in the government, back the program. Others believe it gives jobs to foreign workers that should be going to U.S. citizens. The debate continues, dividing some Republicans.

Musk views the H-1B program as essential to his entry into the U.S. and supports bringing in skilled foreign workers. Ramaswamy argues that the program needs changes to make sure the best candidates get the visas, rather than selecting people randomly through a lottery. He also wants the program to be more competitive, allowing visa holders more flexibility to switch employers. Both Musk and Ramaswamy are strong supporters, and recently, Trump has echoed their views.

However, in 2016, Trump criticized the program, saying it allows companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor. He promised to address what he called the widespread abuse of the program. In 2020, the Trump administration proposed changes, such as shifting the selection process to focus on higher wages instead of using a random lottery. The idea was to prioritize the highest-paying jobs first and work down the wage scale. They also planned to narrow the definition of “specialty occupations” and change how the “prevailing wage” was calculated. These changes were never implemented, as they were blocked by the Biden administration.

We strongly urge companies to take action as early as possible to access current H-1B program policies. If you have questions about the program or any other U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Our firm has extensive experience in H-1B and all employment-based and family-based visas. We work with our clients every step of the way to ensure our clients get expert guidance.