Tesla CEO Elon Musk has called the H-1B visa system “broken” and proposed significant reforms, including raising the minimum salary for visa holders, to address ongoing concerns about the program. Musk’s comments come amid heightened debate over the visa system and its role in allowing foreign skilled workers to contribute to the U.S. economy.
Responding to a post on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk emphasized that the system needs a “major reform” to ensure it prioritizes the world’s “most elite talent.” Suggesting a straightforward solution, Musk proposed significantly increasing the minimum salary requirement for H-1B visa holders and adding an annual cost to maintain the visa. This, he argued, would make it more expensive for companies to hire from overseas compared to domestic talent.
“Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H-1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically,” Musk stated in his post.
Musk, an immigrant from South Africa who initially worked in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, has been a vocal advocate for bringing top engineering talent into the country. He reiterated that attracting such talent is “essential for America to keep winning.”
The debate over the H-1B program has intensified following criticism from right-wing influencers, including Laura Loomer and Ann Coulter, who have accused figures like Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy of undermining American workers. The criticism also extended to Indian-American tech entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan, who was recently appointed as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy for Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
Loomer, a prominent MAGA supporter, accused Krishnan of prioritizing Indian interests over American workers and warned of a potential rift between Trump and Big Tech. Musk, in turn, criticized the far-right figures, warning of a “MAGA civil war” and declaring his willingness to “go to war” on the issue of immigration reform.
Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, has echoed Musk’s support for the H-1B program, emphasizing its importance for maintaining the U.S.’s competitive edge in technology and innovation. Trump, for his part, has expressed his support for the visa system, highlighting its benefits to his businesses and the broader economy.
“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” Trump told the New York Post last week.
