Chip industry leaders oppose tighter visa rules

Semiconductor industry leaders are warning the Trump administration that aproposed tightening of visa rules risks shrinking a vital talent pool and undermining efforts to expand chip manufacturing in the United States.

- By MaGGIr EASTLAND

More than two dozen semiconductor executives — including two unnamed chief executives — have objected to a Department of Homeland Security plan to put stricter limits on the F1 student visas that serve as a crucial pipeline to the tech workforce. Their mostly anonymous — comments, ahead of a formal rulemaking, joined a total of more than 17,000 submissions from across academia.

Incommentary filed with the government, chip executives questioned the move. “I am deeply troubled,” one unidentified CEO wrote. “The global race for chip supremacy isintensifying, and these restrictions risk ceding ground to nations with more welcoming immigration policies.”

Changes proposed in August to student visas pose an added challenge to the chip industry as it grapples with a separate Trump administration decision to charge $100,000 for most new HB visa applications. While semiconductor makers have stayed largely silent over the new six-figure payments, several major companies face the prospect of millions in added fees for skilled-worker visas.

Taken together, the visa changes highlight growing tension between President Trump’simmigration crackdown and his goal of boosting domestic production of semiconductors and other advanced goods to stay ahead of China. Animmigra-tion raid last month on a Hyundai Motor Co.-LG Energy Solution Ltd. battery plant being built in Georgia further illustrated the challenge in relying on foreign-born talent to jump-start new factories.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers declined to comment on the student visa changes but said the HI-B policy puts American workers first “by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down wages,” while giving certainty to U.S. businesses that want to hire high-skilled foreign workers. Homeland Security didn’t respond to a request for comment.