US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance to support the H1B visa program – which has Indians among the largest beneficiaries. The visa allows employers in the US to hire non-immigrant workers for speciality occupations, stating that the country needs "competent" and "great" individuals to come to the US and that this can be achieved through the H1B visa program.
While addressing the media at the White House on Tuesday (local time), Trump emphasised his belief in the importance of attracting skilled individuals to the country, citing the H1B visa program as a key tool in facilitating this. He further argued that allowing "quality people" to come into the US further helps in bolstering the economy by supporting various industries.
The US President also pointed to the diverse range of roles covered by the program, from maitre d's and wine experts to high-quality waiters, noting that these individuals contribute to the growth of businesses.
"You got to get the best people... We have to have the quality people coming in... By doing that, we're expanding businesses, and that takes care of everybody... But what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country and we do that through the H1B," Trump said.
"I like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop. And I'm not just talking about engineers. I'm talking about people at all levels. We want competent people coming into our country. And H1B, I know the program very well. I use the program. Maitre d's, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters," he added.
Trump's remarks highlight his administration's focus on attracting top talent from abroad, arguing that such individuals not only fill critical positions but also drive business expansion, which benefits the broader workforce.
It comes as Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending "birthright citizenship" – meaning the automatic American citizenship that is granted to anyone born in the country, likely to impact H1B visa holders.
(ANI)