
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Face Backlash from MAGA Movement for Not Only Backing But Offering More Visas to Foreign-Born Skilled Workers
Tech magnate Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a heated online debate over the contentious H-1B visa program, putting them at odds with MAGA hardliners who see high-skilled immigration as a threat to American workers.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher. These occupations often include fields like IT, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.
As of September 30, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) estimated that approximately 583,420 individuals were authorized to work in the United States under the H-1B visa classification.
Each fiscal year, there is a congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 H-1B visas, with an additional 20,000 visas available for individuals holding a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution, totaling 85,000 new H-1B visas annually.
On Christmas Day, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will soon head President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), clashed with the MAGA movement over the contentious H-1B visa program and immigration.