- US will use H-1B visas to temporarily bring skilled workers to train Americans, said Treasury Secretary
- New policy aims to rebuild US manufacturing, including the semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors
- Foreign workers to stay 3-7 years, then US workers will take over the skilled roles, he said
US President Donald Trump's new H-1B visa policy is to temporarily bring in skilled foreign workers to the United States to train Americans for high-skilled jobs, rather than long-term dependency on overseas labour, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The remarks came after Trump, contrary to his administration's aggressive immigration reforms, said America needs to bring in foreign talent for certain fields.
Speaking to Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, Bessent described Trump's new approach to H-1B visas as a "knowledge transfer" effort intended to restore America's manufacturing. He noted the new approach is intended to rebuild the US manufacturing sector after decades of outsourcing.
"For 20-30 years, we have not offshored precision manufacturing jobs... We can't snap our fingers and say you are going to have ships overnight. We want to bring the semiconductor industry back to the US. There will be big facilities in Arizona," he said.
Also Read: 'US Doesn't Have Enough Talent': Trump Defends H-1B Visa Plan After Fee Hike
"So, I think the President's vision here is to bring in overseas workers who have the skills for three, five, or seven years to train the US workers. Then they can go home, and US workers will take over."
Addressing concerns over foreign workers displacing Americans, Bessent pushed back and said, "An American can't have that job – not yet."
"We haven't built ships or semiconductors here for years. Overseas partners coming in, teaching American workers – that's a home run," he said.
Team Trump's new approach to the H-1B visa programme, Bessent explained, reflects the Republican president's broader push to repatriate critical industries and reduce reliance on imports.
Also Read: US Launches 175 Probes Into 'Potential Abuse' Of H-1B Visa Program: Report
On Tariff Rebate
He also touched on the Trump administration's economic agenda, confirming discussions on a possible USD 2,000 tariff rebate for families earning under USD 100,000. "The president's talking about a $2,000 rebate... It's part of ensuring families feel the benefits of strong trade policy," he said.
Bessent said the Trump administration's vision is that of Parallel Prosperity, where Wall Street and Main Street grow together, which depends on keeping the Treasury market deep, liquid, and stable.
