Should the US Scrap the H-1B Visa Program? Here’s What Elon Musk Just Said
US News, 2 Dec 2025 (BNN Web Staff)
In a podcast interview with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on November 30, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk strongly defended the H-1B visa program and showered praise on Indian talent, saying the United States has “benefited tremendously” from skilled professionals from India.
Indian Talent’s Massive Contribution to America
Musk highlighted the critical role played by people of Indian origin, especially in technology and engineering. He said, “The United States has benefited tremendously from talented Indians. Indian professionals are extremely hardworking and highly qualified. America’s innovation and economy have gained enormously from their contributions.”
His comments come at a time when the “American Dream” — world-class education, high-paying careers, better quality of life, and social mobility — is becoming increasingly difficult for thousands of Indians because of tightening U.S. visa restrictions and policy uncertainty.
“There Is Always a Shortage of Talented People”
Addressing the common American concern that immigrants are “taking our jobs,” Musk pushed back strongly: “I don’t know how true that is. My direct observation is that there is always a shortage of talented people. From my point of view, we have a very hard time finding enough highly talented people to do the difficult jobs — so more talented people is better.”
The owner of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and xAI added that his companies’ entire focus is on “bringing the most talented people in the world” to work with them.
H-1B Abuse Exists, But Scrapping the Program Would Be Disastrous
Musk acknowledged that the system has been misused by some companies: “I think there has been some abuse of the H-1B program. It’s fair to say that certain outsourcing companies have played games with the system, and we need to stop that gaming of the system. But I completely disagree with the idea that we should shut down the H-1B program. People don’t realize that would actually be very bad.”
Background: Growing Pressure on H-1B Visas
For decades, the H-1B visa has been the primary pathway for young engineers and scientists from India, China, and other countries to convert years of rigorous education into high-paying jobs and a shot at permanent residency in the U.S.
However, in September, President Donald Trump announced that the cost of sponsoring a new H-1B visa application would jump to $100,000 (approximately ₹89.5 lakh) — a massive increase from the current $2,000–$5,000 that employers pay. The move followed demands from his supporters to crack down on alleged large-scale fraud and abuse in the program, as well as claims that H-1B workers are displacing American citizens.
Musk’s clear message: fixing the abuses is necessary, but ending the H-1B program altogether would hurt America far more than it would help.
