Why did the protest of Indian tech workers start in America, controversy also broke out regarding H-1B visa?

H-1B visa dispute: There is a controversy in America regarding H-1B visa used to hire tech workers. Indian tech workers are caught at the center of this controversy. People like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are in favor of giving jobs to talented people from all over the world including India. They are constantly putting pressure on the American government to give jobs to skilled foreigners. However, because of this, the supporters of newly elected President Donald Trump are very angry.
Actually, in America, H-1B visa is given for working in sectors like tech industry. This visa is very popular among Indians, because they go to work in America for this visa. Not only this, but Indian students studying in America also get this visa easily. Indian students can easily get H-1B visa if they have a degree in domains like technology, science and engineering. But Trump’s stance on H-1B visa is changing.

What did Musk and Ramaswamy say?

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy believe that America’s tech industry depends on the expertise of engineers and professionals from countries like India. “If you want your team to win championships, you need to recruit top talent, no matter where they are,” Musk wrote on social media platform X. he/she said that there is a shortage of good engineering talent in Silicon Valley. Indian-origin Ramaswami also supported Musk’s words.

“A culture that celebrates mediocrity rather than excellence will not produce talented engineers,” he/she wrote on X. Both tech leaders are demanding changes to the H-1B visa program, which currently has a cap of 65,000 visas annually. There are also an additional 20,000 visas for students studying in the US.

What is India’s role in this debate?

More than 70% of H-1B visa holders are Indians, which shows the importance of Indian professionals in America’s tech industry. But Trump’s supporters are not liking this. Right-wing commentator Laura Loomer criticized skilled immigration as “not America first”. he/she accused Musk and Ramaswamy of giving priority to foreign workers over American jobs.

The debate intensified after Indian-origin Sriram Krishnan was appointed to lead AI policy in the Trump administration. Krishnan’s support for relaxing restrictions on green cards for skilled workers has sparked controversy, with critics accusing him/her of pushing an “India First” agenda.

What is Trump’s opinion about this?

Trump’s stance on H-1B visas has been unstable. his/her first administration had tightened the sanctions, arguing that the program emasculated American workers. However, recently, Trump expressed openness to granting green cards to foreign graduates of US universities, indicating a softer approach.

The problem is biggest for India. Being the largest contributor to the H-1B talent pool, any changes to the program could wreak havoc on India’s tech industry, remittance economy and bilateral relations with the US.