H-1B Visa Flip-Flop

Trump must convince hardliners that giving US access to the world's best and brightest is essential to its future

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After the initial championing of the H-1B visa program by US President-elect Donald Trump and tech magnate Elon Musk, there has been some dialing down of support for the scheme. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump had described the program as "a great system," saying he was a believer in H-1B and highlighted its role in filling critical gaps in the US workforce.

However, within days of this endorsement, the backlash from Make America Great Again (MAGA) hardliners has seen some backpedaling, with Musk claiming the program is "broken and needs reform," though he isn't abandoning it just yet. Instead, he has suggested the program be fixed by hiking the minimum salary under the scheme and an annual fee be charged for visa maintenance. The all-round confusion makes it clear that we have not heard the last on the issue.