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Elon Musk, the co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has called for sweeping reforms to the H-1B visa program, emphasizing the need to prioritize American workers while attracting top global talent.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields requiring advanced knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher, such as IT, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there were approximately 583,420 individuals authorized to work under the H-1B visa program as of September 30, 2019. Annually, the program caps at 85,000 new visas, with 65,000 designated for general applicants and 20,000 reserved for individuals holding U.S. master’s degrees or higher.
Musk, himself a beneficiary of the program, acknowledged its importance in bringing critical talent to the U.S. He previously wrote:
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.”
However, Musk has been outspoken about the program’s flaws and potential for abuse. In a recent post, Musk advocated for significant reforms to ensure that the H-1B system better serves American workers and prevents exploitation. He stated:
“Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically. I’ve been very clear that the program is broken and needs major reform.”
Musk also highlighted the importance of focusing on the world’s elite talent for the benefit of the U.S.:
“Maybe this is a helpful clarification: I am referring to bringing in via legal immigration the top ~0.1% of engineering talent as being essential for America to keep winning. This is like bringing in the Jokic’s or Wemby’s of the world to help your whole team (which is mostly Americans!) win the NBA. Thinking of America as a pro sports team that has been winning for a long time and wants to keep winning is the right mental construct.”
His call for change comes amid rising scrutiny of the H-1B program. On X, user Robert Sterling recently criticized the system, alleging that some companies exploit it to undercut domestic labor:
“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.”
In response to these concerns, Musk emphasized the necessity for reform and expressed optimism about the incoming Trump administration’s stance on the issue:
“I’m confident that the changes made in the Donald Trump administration will make America much stronger. A rising tide lifts all boats.”
