In a surprising departure from his earlier hardline stance, the US President Donald Trump has defended the continuation of the H-1B visa programme, saying America “doesn’t have enough talent” to meet its growing industrial and technological needs. The remarks came during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, where Mr. Trump admitted that the US must “bring in people with the right skills” to sustain its manufacturing and innovation momentum.
His comments follow the administration’s controversial decision to increase the H-1B visa application fee to USD 100,000, a move that has drawn criticism from technology firms and global business groups. Mr. Trump argued, however, that while prioritising American workers remains essential, the reality is that certain advanced sectors including battery manufacturing and defence technologies lack the required expertise domestically. “You don’t have certain talents here. You can’t just take someone off long-term unemployment and put them in a battery plant,” he remarked.
The H-1B programme, which allows US companies to employ highly skilled foreign professionals, is dominated by Indian engineers and technology specialists. The recent policy shift, combining fee hikes with a reluctant acknowledgment of dependence on foreign talent, underscores Washington’s ongoing struggle to balance domestic job protection with global competitiveness; a tension that could reshape future migration and innovation strategies.
