US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he likes “very competent people” coming into the country and noted that he is not just talking about engineers, but also about people at all levels during a joint news conference at the White House.
The US President expressed a balanced view on H-1B visa programme during a joint news conference at the White House with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman.
“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. But I don’t want to stop — and I’m not just talking about engineers, I’m talking about people at all levels,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
A notable divide exists within Trump’s support base regarding the H-1B visa system. Whilst Elon Musk of Tesla advocates for the programme as a means to recruit qualified tech professionals, other supporters contend it diminishes job opportunities for American workers.
Trump highlighted his familiarity with the H-1B programme, citing his personal experience in utilising it for various positions including Maître d’, wine specialists, and high-calibre waiters. He emphasised the technology sector’s crucial need for engineers, specifically mentioning the requirements of business leaders like Larry and Masa.
“We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Maître d’, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters — you’ve got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs… they need engineers like nobody’s ever needed them,” Trump said.
The President concluded by emphasising the importance of maintaining quality in immigration whilst promoting business expansion. He reiterated his position of understanding both perspectives whilst maintaining that the H-1B programme serves as a vital channel for bringing exceptional talent into the country.