By David Sherfinski
RICHMOND, Virginia ( Thomson Reuters (NYSE:) Foundation) – As new President Donald Trump prepares his crackdown on immigration, his allies within his Republican Party have been divided over policies surrounding visas for American workers intended to enter specialized professions like the technology industry.
The row over so-called H-1B visas pits Trump’s Silicon Valley-aligned allies, like X CEO Elon Musk, who favors the program, and his opponents like former White House strategist Steve Bannon. , many of whom want to limit overall immigration levels – legal. and illegal – with Trump’s return to power.
How did the H-1Bs end up in the fray? Here’s what you need to know:
What are H-1Bs and how do they differ from other US work visa programs?
The H-1B visa program is reserved for people from other countries who work in specialized occupations in the United States, often in the technology field.
These may include software engineers, technical program managers, and other IT professionals.
In the United States, people granted an H-1B can extend their stay beyond an initial six-year period – three years plus a three-year extension – if a green card application has been filed.
Under the terms of their visas, laid-off workers face having to leave the country within 60 days unless they can find another job or change their immigration status.
Other work programs include H-2A visas, for temporary agricultural workers, and H-2B visas for seasonal non-agricultural workers.
Tahmina Watson, an immigration attorney based in Seattle, Washington, suggested a new “startup” visa category for people wanting to come to the country to start new businesses.
“The startup visa is something I’ve been advocating for almost two decades,” she said. “I think our visa system is in desperate need of reform.”
What are Trump’s allies saying about H-1Bs?
Musk defended the program and vowed to “wage war” after other Trump supporters criticized the president’s appointment of Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence and argued that the H-1B program favored foreign-born workers. on the Americans.
Musk has been listening to Trump since the election and working on the new Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending and perceived waste.
On the other side, there are people like Bannon, one of the architects of the 2016 Trump campaign, who called the H-1B program a “scam.”
“We win this round, and we win this round pretty big,” Bannon said at a Politico event this month, referring to the H-1B fight. “I think we’ll get there. As soon as I can transform Elon Musk from a techno-futilist into a populist nationalist, we’ll start making real progress.”
Watson said an important takeaway from the national debate is to recognize that there is a shortage of talent in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — that the country needs.
“Acknowledge and acknowledge that we don’t have enough of the domestic talent that we need, and address both of those issues at the same time by allowing skilled immigrants in now, but also using this policy to force America to start training the next generation,” she said.
What are Trump’s views?
After the first skirmish, Trump declared himself in favor of the program.
“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I believe in the H-1B. I’ve used it several times. It’s a great program,” he told the New York Post.
Before the inauguration, Trump’s team did not respond to questions about whether he supported the program or whether he planned to push for changes to H-1Bs or other visa programs. work.
He sought to restrict them during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
Who might be affected by policy changes?
Indians made up the vast majority of H-1B beneficiaries approved in 2023, followed by China.
Under the current system, those affected by layoffs in the tech sector may find themselves in a difficult situation to maintain their legal status.
Meta (NASDAQ:), for example, which has about 72,000 employees, recently announced plans to cut about 5% of its workforce.
Watson said people or businesses that rely on H-1Bs might benefit from ignoring the political back-and-forth.
“Don’t let national rhetoric dissuade you from using the H-1B if your business needs it,” she said. “I tell many of my clients that your business success is your North Star, so do what you need to do.
“For employees who might be afraid, I would say that if they work in harmony with their employer, they should not be afraid.”