U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for allowing competent individuals to immigrate to the United States, emphasizing the significance of the H1B visa program. Speaking at a joint press conference at the White House alongside Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Trump reflected on the role of skilled professionals in strengthening the country’s workforce.
“I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do,” said Trump. “We want competent people coming into our country. And H1B, I know the program very well. I use the program. Maître d’s, wine experts, even waiters—high-quality waiters—you’ve got to get the best people.”
The president also underlined the broader importance of skilled professionals across various sectors, including engineering. “People like Larry, he needs engineers. Masa also needs engineers like nobody’s ever needed them,” he remarked.
Trump’s statements align with broader industry sentiments. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently advocated for the H1B visa program, emphasizing its role in attracting top talent to the U.S. Musk, himself an immigrant, stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, former National Security Advisor John Bolton weighed in, describing Trump’s stance on H1B as “very popular.” Bolton acknowledged challenges in both legal and illegal immigration, highlighting the political gridlock in reforming the legal immigration system. “We should welcome additional immigrants. It’s a source of strength for the United States,” he added.
The H1B visa program has long been a critical pathway for bringing skilled professionals into the U.S., particularly in technology and engineering sectors. Trump’s comments come amid ongoing debates on the future of U.S. immigration policy and its impact on economic competitiveness.
