Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, called the H-1B visa system “broken,” advocating for “major reform.”
Musk’s statement came days after he pledged to “go to war” to defend the visa program that brings skilled foreign workers to the U.S. Musk, who migrated from South Africa on an H-1B visa himself, shared his thoughts on X, the social media platform he owns.
Musk proposed significant changes to improve the program, including a substantial increase in the minimum salary for H-1B holders and an annual maintenance cost. He argued that these changes would make hiring foreign talent “materially more expensive” than hiring domestic talent, which could help fix the system.
.@elonmusk Calls for Major Reform of Broken H-1B Visa Program — Proposes to Make it More Expensive to Hire Overseas Than Domestically https://t.co/p0FRfHyduS
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) December 29, 2024Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American tech entrepreneur and another supporter of the H-1B visa, also spoke out. He criticized the U.S. culture for favouring “mediocrity over excellence,” suggesting that this attitude does not foster top engineering talent.
Trump Backs Musk's H-1B Visa Reform Push, Sparks Debate Among MAGA Supporters
Washington, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump has publicly expressed support for Elon Musk’s proposals to reform the H-1B visa program, marking a surprising shift in stance amidst mixed reactions… pic.twitter.com/qwgw6FsCRu
— Dr.Jack (@him_yadav) December 29, 2024The controversy around the H-1B visas flared up following criticism from right-wing influencer Laura Loomer and others after Donald Trump announced the appointment of Indian-American Sriram Krishnan as an AI policy advisor. Critics, including Ann Coulter and former Congressman Matt Gaetz, accused Musk and Ramaswamy of prioritizing foreign workers over Americans.
Read: Elon Musk Defends H-1B Visas, Sparks Debate with MAGA Supporter
In response to the backlash, Musk warned of a “MAGA civil war,” emphasizing his commitment to reforming the H-1B system. Meanwhile, Donald Trump expressed his support for Musk and the H-1B program, contradicting some members of his base and reaffirming his belief in the program’s value, citing his personal use of it at his properties.
America needs to be a destination for the world’s most elite talent. But the H-1B program isn’t the way to do that.
I’m going to stop posting for now, but let me know if there are any other visualizations that would be helpful.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
— Robert Sterling (@RobertMSterling) December 29, 2024
