Impact of H-1B visas on U.S. tech.

• The US immigration policy allowing skilled foreign workers to work in the US has sparked debates among billionaires, politicians, and tech workers.

• President-elect Donald Trump appointed Sriram Krishnan as his senior policy advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI), sparking a heated debate.

• Laura Loomer, a prominent MAGA supporter, criticized the decision, calling Indian immigrants “third world invaders.”

• Krishnan, an Indian immigrant, supports simplifying the legal process for tech workers to enter the U.S.

• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both immigrants and Trump’s picks to overhaul the U.S. government, are supportive of the skilled foreign worker visa programme.

• The H-1B visa programme has been criticized by some prominent Democrats, who were pro-immigration during the election season, into H-1B programme bashers.

• The Immigration Act of 1990 significantly revised and expanded the H-1B visa programme, making it more accessible to U.S. employers seeking high-skilled foreign workers.

• A 2013 study found that H-1B workers had a positive impact on the wages of native college-educated workers and overall productivity in U.S. cities.

• A follow-up study found that immigrants and native workers complement each other in the labor market.

• Skilled immigrants have contributed significantly to U.S. patent activity, particularly in emerging technologies.

• Critics, particularly those against Indian tech services companies like Infosys and Cognizant, argue that their business model combines offshore development centers in India with on-site presence in the U.S., facilitated by H-1B visas.

• The incoming Trump administration should look into these practices and draft a skilled worker immigration policy that prioritizes the skill and educational background of an individual over a company’s profit-making interests.