Tech billionaire, Elon Musk, a pivotal figure in the incoming Trump administration in the United States, has supported the H-1B visa system despite claiming that the “program is broken, flawed and needs major reform”
Temporary work permits known as H-1B visas are given to foreign workers in specialized industries including technology, health, education, law, and the arts that demand advanced knowledge. Although software organizations that hire engineers utilize the program extensively, other professional industries also benefit from it.
Musk offered the following suggestions for preserving the H-1B visas. Musk said, “Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H-1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically. I’ve been very clear that the program is broken and needs major reform.”
Even as US President-elect Donald Trump threw his support behind him and his endorsement of visas, Musk had previously declared he would “go to war” on the H-1B visa, a topic that has continued to spark intense discussion within the MAGA community.
When Trump named venture entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as a senior policy advisor on artificial intelligence, the uproar intensified. Far-right activists, such as activist Laura Loomer, have criticized Krishnan, who supports lowering immigration barriers for talented workers, calling his appointment “deeply disturbing.”
