What is the conservative row on the H-1B visa? By Reuters

By David Sherfinsky

Richmond, Virginia Thomson Reuters (NYSE: ) Foundation ) – As President-elect Donald Trump prepares his immigration measures, his Republican allies are divided on policies surrounding U.S. worker visas intended to go to specialty occupations such as the technology industry.

Negotiations over the so-called H-1B visas are pitting Silicon Valley-aligned Trump allies like X CEO Elon Musk against opponents like former White House strategist Steve Bannon who support the program, many of whom want curbs on overall levels of immigration — both legal and illegal — Trump to When you return to the office.

How did H-1bis end up in the fight? Here’s what you need to know:

What are H-1Bs and how are they different from other US work visa programs?

The H-1B visa program is reserved for people from other countries who are employed in the United States in specialized occupations, often in the technology field.

They may include software engineers, technology program managers, and other IT professionals.

People on H-1Bs in the United States can have their green card application extended from the initial six-year deadline — three years plus three-year extensions.

Under the terms of their visas, laid-off workers have 60 days to leave the country unless they find another job or change their immigration status.

Other work programs include the H-2A visa for temporary agricultural workers and the H-2B visa for seasonal non-agricultural workers.

Tahmina Watson, an immigration attorney in Seattle, Washington, suggested a new category for “start-up” visas for those who want to start new companies in the country.

“The startup visa is something I’ve been advocating for for almost two decades,” she said. “I think our visa system is in dire need of reform.”

What are Trump’s allies saying about H-1Bs?

With other Trump supporters criticizing the appointment of Indian-American entrepreneur Siram Krishnan as a top policy adviser on artificial intelligence and the H-1B program favoring foreign-born workers, Mook has vowed to go to war in defense of the program. against the Americans.

Musk has had Trump’s ear since the election and is working to streamline the newly restructured government to reduce spending and projected waste.

On the other side are people like Bannon, the engineer of Trump’s 2016 campaign, who dismissed the H-1B program as a “scam.”

“We’re winning this round, and this round is a big one,” Bannon said at a Politico event this month, referring to the H-1B fight. “I think we’re getting there Elon. As soon as I turn Elon Musk from a techno-fatalist to a populist nationalist, we’ll start making real progress.”

Watson said one important takeaway from the national debate is the recognition that there is a talent shortage in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — fields the country needs.

“What we need is to recognize and recognize that we don’t have enough domestic talent, and at the same time both allow skilled immigrants to come in now, but use that policy to mandate that America start training the next generation,” she said.

What are Trump’s views?

After the initial skirmish, Trump said he supported the program.

“I have a lot of H-1B visas on my property. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I’ve used it many times. It’s a great program,” he told the New York Post.

Before the inauguration, Trump’s team did not respond to a question about whether they would support the program or plan to make changes to H-1Bs or other work visa programs.

He tried to limit them during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.

Who might be affected by policy changes?

In the year In 2023, people from India accounted for the majority of approved H-1B beneficiaries, followed by China.

Under the current system, those affected by layoffs in the technology sector are seen scrambling to protect their legitimacy.

Meta (NASDAQ: ), for example, which has about 72,000 employees, recently said it plans to cut about 5% of its workforce.

Watson said people or businesses that depend on H-1Bs could be well-served to navigate the political back-and-forth.

“If your business needs it, don’t use national rhetoric to stop you from using the H-1B,” she said. “For many of my clients, the success of your business is your north star, so do what you have to do.

“For workers who might be afraid, I say they shouldn’t be if they work together with their employers.”