US President Donald Trump defended the H-1B visa programme, saying the United States “doesn’t have the talent” needed to fill critical jobs domestically. In an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump was asked if his administration planned to cut back on H-1B visas amid concerns that the programme depresses wages for American workers.
“I agree- but you also do have to bring in talent,” Donald Trump said, rejecting the notion that the US already has enough skilled people. When host Laura Ingraham countered, “We have plenty of talented people here,” Donald Trump interjected, “No, you don’t, no you don’t … You don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we’re going to make missiles.’”
Donald Trump Cites Georgia Factory Raid
The US President pointed to a September Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia where hundreds of South Korean contractors were detained over immigration issues. He said the incident showed America’s dependence on skilled foreign workers.
“Making batteries is very complicated … You’re going to need that,” Donald Trump said. His remarks came even as his administration continues to tighten immigration rules and impose new costs on companies that hire overseas professionals.
New H-1B Visa Rules Under Donald Trump Administration
The Donald Trump administration has introduced sweeping changes to the H-1B visa programme, marking one of the most significant overhauls in decades. The most controversial reform was the imposition of a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B petitions, intended to deter what White House has called “visa misuse” by employers. This new fee applies mainly to companies sponsoring workers outside the US and has drawn criticism from universities and businesses alike for making it harder to hire global talent.
At the same time, the Donald Trump administration proposed a weighted lottery system that gives preference to higher-paid or more specialised applicants- a move the Department of Homeland Security says will prioritise merit and reduce wage undercutting.