US President Donald Trump has once again defended the H-1B visa programme, stressing that specialised foreign workers are essential for training the American workforce, even as several Republican leaders call for the programme to be scrapped.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump cited the semiconductor industry as a key area requiring overseas expertise. 
&ldquo;If you are going to be making chips, we don&rsquo;t make chips too much here anymore. We are going to be&hellip;in a period of a year, we are going to have a big portion of the chip market. But we have to train our people how to make chips. We used to do it, and foolishly we lost that business to Taiwan,&rdquo; he said.
Trump reiterated similar support last week during an interview with Fox News&rsquo; Laura Ingraham. 
When asked whether his administration planned to deprioritise H-1B visas, he responded, &ldquo;You do have to bring in talent.&rdquo; 
When Ingraham countered that the US had &ldquo;plenty of talent,&rdquo; Trump replied, &ldquo;No, you don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You don't have certain talents&hellip;. And people have to learn, you can't take people off an unemployment line and say, I'm going to put you into a factory. We're going to make missiles,&rdquo; he added.
White House Defends Visa Fee, Enforcement Measures
Following criticism from conservative lawmakers, the White House clarified its position on Friday, stating that the recently introduced $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas is a necessary measure to curb misuse.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Trump has &ldquo;done more than any president in modern history to tighten our immigration laws and put American workers first.&rdquo;
She called the $100,000 fee &ldquo;a significant first step to stop abuses of the system and ensure American workers are no longer replaced by lower-paid foreign labor.&rdquo;
Rogers also highlighted &ldquo;Project Firewall,&rdquo; an enforcement initiative launched by the Department of Labor to investigate companies suspected of violating H-1B regulations. 
The programme aims to ensure the visa category is used only for &ldquo;the highest-skilled foreign workers in speciality occupations.&rdquo;
Republican Calls to End H-1B Grow Louder
Despite Trump&rsquo;s defence, several Republican lawmakers renewed demands to end the programme entirely. 
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she plans to introduce a bill to &ldquo;ban H1B visas in all sectors&rdquo; except healthcare, arguing that restricting the programme would benefit both US jobs and the housing market.
&ldquo;Ending H1B visas means more jobs available for Americans and more homes available for Americans,&rdquo; she posted on X.
Republican Representative Andy Ogles similarly wrote, &ldquo;No more H1-Bs is a no-brainer. Let's get it done.&rdquo;
Legal and Diplomatic Concerns Continue
The administration&rsquo;s H-1B policy is also facing legal challenges, including lawsuits from major business groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce. 
On October 31, a group of US lawmakers urged Trump to review his September 19 proclamation on H-1B visas, warning of its &ldquo;potentially negative impacts&rdquo; on India-US relations.
India-born workers received more than 70% of all approved H-1B visas in 2024 due to high demand and significant processing backlogs.
&mdash;IANS

Trump doubles down on H-1B visas, says US still needs specialised foreign talent

Trump Reaffirms Support For H-1B Visas

Trump doubles down on H-1B visas, says US still needs specialised foreign talent

November 18, 2025 | 11:06 IST