President Donald Trump On H-1B Visa: We Want Competent People Coming To US

US President Donald Trump has extended support for the H-1B foreign guest workers' visa program, emphasizing the importance of welcoming skilled professionals.

What Trump Said?

"I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. I don't want to stop...," Trump said, highlighting the contributions of foreign workers to industries ranging from technology to hospitality. The event featured Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Trump elaborated that the H-1B visa serves not only the tech sector but also other fields, stating, "We want competent people... NASA needs engineers like nobody's ever needed them." He also acknowledged using the program for staffing at his own properties, describing it as a "great program."

Diversity Of The Program

He noted the diverse range of roles covered by the program. "You got to get the best people...We have to have the quality people coming in... By doing that, we're expanding businesses, and that takes care of everybody... But what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country and we do that through the H-1B," Trump added.

"I like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop. And I'm not just talking about engineers. I'm talking about people at all levels. We want competent people coming into our country. And H-B1, I know the program very well. I use the program. Maitre d's, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters," he continued.

Despite his support for H-1B visas, Trump's administration has historically imposed restrictions on the program. These measures, which began during his first term, were aimed at curbing perceived misuse and protecting American jobs. In 2020, restrictions were further tightened in response to the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a related move, Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term, revoking birthright citizenship for children born to non-citizen parents in the US. Under the new policy, children born in the US will only receive citizenship if at least one parent is an American citizen or a green card holder. The order, effective February 20, directly impacts children born to individuals with temporary visas, including H-1B holders.