Many of President-elect Trump’s supporters were disappointed when he endorsed the H1-1B program, which allows U.S. companies, particularly in tech fields, to import foreign workers on temporary visas. Often they remain permanently. The companies justify the use of H-!B workers on the grounds that they can’t find enough qualified Americans to fill their job openings.
Trump stated, “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them.” Also affirming this view was tech baron Elon Must who said that these visas are necessary for companies to acquire the best and brightest workers.
Unfortunately, both Trump and Musk have knowledge gaps about the H-1B system. Essentially, it exists so that employers can have a low-wage and easily-exploited labor force. Typically, they are not the best and brightest.
Musk maintained that America needs “the top ~0.1% of engineering talent” be competitive in the world. That could be accomplished without the H-1B program as it now exists.
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