Donald Trump’s new vision for the H-1B visa is one of “knowledge transfer only,” not long-term employment, according to a clarification from Scott Bessent. This comes after Trump’s own comments about needing foreign talent were interpreted as a significant “softening” of his immigration policy. Bessent’s explanation paints a picture of a temporary, “train-and-return” system.
The confusion began with Trump’s interview, where he seemed to advocate for more skilled immigration. He remarked, “We also do have to bring talent into the country,” and “people have to learn,” suggesting that America’s domestic workforce was insufficient for certain high-tech manufacturing and defense roles.
Bessent’s follow-up interview, however, completely reframed this. He stated the president’s vision is not about replacing American workers but about educating them. The new policy would see “overseas workers who have the skills” come to the US for a fixed term, with the explicit job of training their American counterparts.
This fixed term, as Bessent suggested, could be “three, five, seven years.” At the end of this period, the foreign experts’ mission would be complete, and they “can go home.” This model aims to directly combat the skills gap in the US.
Bessent called this a “home run,” arguing it’s the perfect solution for industries like shipbuilding, where “An American can’t have that job, not yet.” This strategy would use foreign expertise to build a self-sufficient American workforce that can “fully take over” these critical sectors.