American billionaire and tech industry giant Elon Musk, who had earlier pledged to go to any extent to defend the H-1B visa program, has now changed his stance on the issue. He has stressed the need to reform the system used to bring skilled foreign workers to the US. Recently, President-elect Donald Trump has selected Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Last week, Musk wrote on ‘X’, “I am in America with many of the important people who have built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that make America strong, because of H-1B.” But in response to a user’s post, he retracted his earlier statement, saying that America should become a destination for the world’s best talent, although he did not consider the current H-1B system as a solution.
Now Musk said in a post, “The H-1B system could be easily fixed by significantly increasing the minimum wage and adding annual costs that would make it more expensive to recruit from abroad than domestically. I am clear that this program is flawed and needs major reform.”
The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers requiring technical expertise in particular occupations. Technology companies rely on the program to hire thousands of workers each year on H-1B visas from countries like India and China. The IT industry has long been demanding more H-1B visas to attract highly skilled workers to the US.
Musk, who has previously relied on H-1B visas, has defended the need for foreign workers. He said, “Anyone who comes to America, no matter what race, religion or nationality, and who has worked hard to contribute to this country, I will always respect. America is the land of freedom and opportunity. Fight with all your being to keep it that way.”
Trump had tried to restrict the program earlier in his tenure, but now he has said, “I have always liked visas, I have always been in favor of visas.”
Musk’s flexible stance and Trump’s support can open new doors of opportunities for Indian technology professionals in America, as a large number of Indians are trying to go to America through this visa.
