Visa Lawyer Blog
After years of criticizing the H-1B work visa program, benefitting highly skilled foreign talent, on Saturday the President-elect shocked the world when he pledged his support for the program.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said, “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” referring to the H-1B program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.
The President elect went on to say, “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”
These comments are a sudden change from Trump’s usual hardline stance on H-1B visas. During his first term in office, Trump passed an executive action known as “Buy American and Hire American,” which restricted access to H-1B visas.
His administration was also responsible for a dramatic increase in the issuance of Requests for Evidence, as well as denials of H-1B worker petitions—a record high when compared to previous administrations.
Since speaking with the media, Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both made posts on social media vehemently pledging their support for the H-1B visa program.