Trump: ‘H-1B Visas only for competent people’

Trump

Rama Krishna Sangem

It’s a good news as well as bad news for Indian techies. US President Donald Trump made it clear that most sought after H-1B visas would be given to only the competent people needed for American companies. This means, he is not totally ruling out the present method of giving H-1B visas to foreigners, but only on a restricted and case by case basis.

As Donald Trump begins his second term, the H-1B visa programmememe has resurfaced as a key point of contention in debates surrounding America’s economic and labour policies. While his ‘America First’ agenda prioritises domestic employment, business leaders and industry insiders warn that curbing skilled immigration risks stifling America’s competitive edge in global technology and innovation.

On being asked about his stance on the H-1B visa programmeme, Trump said, “I like both sides of the argument… I like competent people coming to the country — not just engineers but quality workers from all levels. I know the H-1B programmeme very well. I use the programmeme… Maître d’s, wine experts, even waiters, high quality waiters. You got to get the best people.”

Trump’s recent comment is in line with his previous stance. Earlier this month, Trump told the New York Post, “I’ve always liked the (H-1B) visas. I have always been in favour of the visas, that’s why we have them.

 

2 views on H-1B visas

H-1B programmememe, long regarded as a cornerstone for attracting highly skilled foreign talent in the tech sector, has become a divisive issue within Trump’s support base. On one side, immigration hardliners argue that the scheme undercuts opportunities for American workers. On the other, business leaders and tech executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, stress its necessity for maintaining the United States’ competitive edge in global technology.

Musk, who was once an H-1B visa holder himself, highlighted the ongoing shortage of skilled engineering talent. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley,” he shared on social media. Musk has vowed to advocate aggressively for the programmememe, calling it essential to innovation.

 

Preference to talent promotion

Trump’s position has sparked criticism from conservative figures like Laura Loomer, who labelled his appointment of Indian-origin tech executive Sriram Krishnan as an AI adviser “not America First policy.” Her comments have found support among certain Republican factions, including Nikki Haley.

Meanwhile, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who actively campaigned for Trump, weighed in on the matter, lamenting what he described as a cultural shift in America towards mediocrity. He said, “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence… If we pretend like ‘normalcy’ cuts it, we’ll have our asses handed to us by China.”

Well, if this is the position of the President on the H-1B visas or migration of talent pool, it is up to Indian youth and techies to chose their options. They can work hard and improve their skills or talents or competency and obtain H-1B visas. This is good for both India and the US in the long run.

Rama Krishna Sangem

Ramakrishna chief editor of excel India online magazine and website

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Chief Editor

Rama Krishna Sangem

Excel India national news magazine is a media startup founded and piloted by Rama Krishna Sangem, a Hyderabad based senior journalist with over three decade experience in the field of media, mostly in print journalism. His rich experience in reporting for both Telugu and English newspapers and heading a TV news channel and some online outfits will be of immense use to this venture. Excel India English news magazine seeks to fill the gap of analytical understanding to our readers who today are confronted with myriad media platforms. Our online version not only offers regular updates and commentary on happenings around us, but also gives larger stories not limited by space constraints of a print magazine. Excel India is ably run by a team of senior journalists committed to values and quality standards in the profession. We urge you all to support and guide us in this endeavour. Reach us at excelindiaweb123@gmail.com