‘Don’t have talented people’: Is Donald Trump softening rules on aggressive H-1B visa? What he said

U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be softening his long-held hardline stance on the H-1B visa program. In a recent interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump admitted that the United States “doesn’t have certain talents,” arguing that the country must sometimes rely on skilled foreign workers to fill specialised roles. He cited examples such as battery manufacturing and advanced industries, saying that not all positions can be filled by the domestic workforce alone. This marks a notable shift from his earlier “America First” rhetoric, where he consistently pushed for prioritising American workers and restricting work visas. However, Trump’s administration has recently imposed steep hikes in H-1B visa application fees — reportedly up to $100,000 — and tightened eligibility rules, making it harder for companies to hire foreign professionals. His latest remarks suggest a more nuanced view: while maintaining protectionist measures to boost local employment, he acknowledges that certain sectors still depend on global expertise to stay competitive. The statement has been seen as both a pragmatic recognition of skill shortages and a political recalibration as he seeks to balance nationalist policies with economic realities. For India, which accounts for the majority of H-1B visa holders, this shift in tone could be cautiously optimistic, though whether it leads to real policy changes remains uncertain.