(MENAFN- Live Mint) H1-B visa: Donald Trump, who took office as the 47th US President, reaffirmed his support for the H-1B visa program during a press conference and said that the country needs 'competent' and 'great' individuals to come to the US, adding that this can be achieved through the visa program.
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trump Inauguration Highlights What is H-1B Visa?
The H-1B is a temporary (non-immigrant) visa category that allows employers to petition for highly educated foreign professionals to work in“specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. Jobs in fields such as mathematics, engineering, technology, and medical sciences often qualify.
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On H1B visas, US President Donald Trump said,“... I like both sides of the argument but I also like very competent people coming to our country, even if that involves them training and helping others that may not have the qualifications... About HB1, I know the program very well and I have used that program... We have to have quality people coming in... By doing that, we are expanding businesses that take care of everybody... We need great people to come to our country and we do that through the H1B program...”
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With Trump's return to the presidency, there have been implications for the H1B visa programme could shift again. During his previous administration, Trump enforced stricter regulations aimed at prioritising American workers, a trend that may continue and increase competition for Indian tech professionals seeking these visas.
However, this is not the first time, he extended his support for H1B visa programme. Earlier last month, he told the New York Post ,“I've always liked the [H1-B] visas. I have always been in favor of the visas; that's why we have them.”
What is H1B debate all about?
The debate over H1B visas and immigration policy intensified following Trump's announcement of Sriram Krishnan as the White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Krishnan had advocated for the removal of country caps in green card allocation to skilled immigrants.
A major divide emerged within the MAGA team in the United States last month as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who advocated for the expansion of the visa program for 'highly skilled workers', faced heavy backlash from within President-elect's base.
Notably, during Trump's first term, his administration placed restrictions on H-1B visas, citing concerns about "abuse" and "economic strain." In 2016, Trump criticised the program, claiming it allowed companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. These restrictions were further tightened in 2020 due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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