Trump's Shocking Pivot: Siding with Musk on H-1B Visas, Alienating His Base?

While Trump ran—and won—on an "America First" platform, he appears to be veering from the hardline anti-immigration stance he once supported. The H-1B visas, or highly skilled migrant visas, are the primary source of the debate.

Recently, Donald Trump has made comments about siding with Elon Musk over visas for high-tech workers, to the dismay of much of his base. Is the future of the H-1B visas on shaky ground? Jasper Colt/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tech Giants Snap Up H-1B Talent: Musk, Amazon Lead Charge

The tech industry primarily benefits from H-1B visas, which are for skilled workers in STEM fields. These workers enter legally for well-paid tech jobs, with -65% of 2014 petitions in tech.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk defends the program because it attracts the "top ~0.1% of engineering talent," allowing US businesses to compete in a global marketplace.

Amazon was the top employer of people on H-1B visas in 2024, bringing in more than 13,000 people. Google, Meta, Apple, and Tesla are also significant beneficiaries, ranking 4th, 6th, 8th, and 22nd, respectively, as employers with the most H1-B visas. Steve Jurvetson via Wikimedia Commons

H-1B Visa Cap at 85,000: Only 1% of Immigrant Population

The number of H-1B visas issued each year is capped at 85,000. Of those, 20,000 visas are reserved for foreign students with master's degrees or higher from US universities. The visas are typically issued for three years and can be extended to six years.

The US estimates that there are about 583,420 people currently in the US on H-1B visas or about 1% of the total immigrant population in the US, which is currently over 45 million. Satrio Ramadhan from Studio Indonesia

How Much Do H1-B Visa Holders Earn?

According to BBC reporting, the median yearly income of people approved to work on an H-1B visa in the 2023 fiscal year was $118,000. That is slightly higher than the median US citizens working in computer and mathematical occupations: $113,000. However, it is more than double the median U.S. salary of $58,084, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. FS-Stock from Getty Images

Where H1-B Visa Holders Come From?

The vast majority of H1-B Visa holders come from India. In the year from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, over 279,000 people applied from India. At less than ⅕ of that, around 45,000 people applied from China, with smaller pools of applicants from The Philippines, Canada, and South Korea. sturti from Getty Images Signature

Trump May Spare H1-B Visas Amid Immigration Overhaul

Considering the small percentage of H1-B visa holders compared to the total immigrant population in the US, it's unlikely to be the focus of new stricter immigration laws. Especially since Trump has surrounded himself with both tech billionaires and Indian-Americans who represent the two groups that benefit the most from these visas.

However, there could be greater scrutiny. In 2017, Trump signed an executive order to reduce fraud and increase scrutiny of H-1B visa applications. However, as a new Trump presidency starts, we could see additional measures to screen applicants and improve security. ZekaG from Getty Images Signature