H1-B visas, widely used by Silicon Valley, allow companies to bring foreign workers with specific qualifications to the United States.
Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was in favor, like Elon Musk, of a category of American visas intended for qualified foreign workers, at a time when dissensions on the subject are agitating his own camp. “I have always believed in the H1-B program. I have used it many times”the president-elect told the conservative tabloid New York Postin reference to the employees of its own companies.
For several days, some of his supporters from the “tech” sector, including Elon Musk, have been arguing, with other conservative figures from his clan, with ardently anti-immigration positions, on the issue. H1-B visas allow companies to bring foreign workers with specific qualifications to the United States and are widely used by Silicon Valley. The multi-billionaire Elon Musk, who became close to Donald Trump and a native of South Africa, himself benefited in the past from this type of visa.
“The reason I am in America, like so many of the essential people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies… is (the) H1-B visa”thundered Elon Musk on his X network on Friday, promising to “go to war on this issue”. A speech that disturbs certain conservative figures, while Donald Trump was elected with a primarily anti-immigration program.
Donald Trump's former advisor at the White House, the very conservative Steve Bannon, castigated Friday in a broadcast “scam by Silicon Valley oligarchs to take jobs from American citizens”. In the past, Donald Trump had expressed his opposition to H1-B visas, which he described as “very unfair to our workers” Americans. And during his first term, he put in place certain restrictions on these visas, before they were lifted by the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden.
