Elon Musk Recalls H-1B Visa Role Amid Trump’s Immigration Overhaul

As President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on September 19, 2025, imposing a $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B visa applications, social media has reignited discussions about Elon Musk's earlier staunch support for the programme. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, once a key Trump ally, credited the H-1B system with enabling his own immigration to the U.S. and building his companies, though their relationship soured earlier this year over policy disagreements.

The move, effective September 21, 2025, applies only to new petitions in the upcoming lottery cycle and spares current holders and renewals, according to White House clarifications. Tech firms like Amazon and Microsoft, which secured over 10,000 and 5,000 H-1B approvals, respectively, in early 2025, have urged affected employees abroad to return promptly, highlighting immediate logistical disruptions.

The H-1B visa programme, established in 1990, allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations, primarily in technology, for up to six years. Capped at 85,000 annually, it has drawn criticism for allegedly suppressing domestic wages and displacing American workers, while supporters argue it fills critical talent gaps. Indians received 71% of approvals in fiscal year 2024, followed by 11.7% for Chinese nationals, underscoring its outsized impact on global tech migration.

Trump's order, signed in the Oval Office alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, aims to curb "systemic abuse" by outsourcing firms and prioritise "truly extraordinary" talent, potentially generating billions in revenue while protecting U.S. jobs. Legal experts anticipate court challenges, noting Congress's authority over such fees is limited to adjudication costs, not punitive hikes.

Musk's comments, from a heated December 2024 X exchange, captured national attention amid a rift between Trump's MAGA base and Silicon Valley donors. On December 27, responding to critics labelling the programme exploitative, Musk declared, "No question that the H1B system needs to be overhauled." Hours later, he escalated, posting, "The reason I'm in America, along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong, is because of H1B," adding a profane rebuke and vowing to "go to war" on the issue.

The South African-born Musk, who entered the U.S. on a student visa before transitioning to H-1B status, highlighted the programme's role in attracting top engineering talent, likening it to recruiting NBA stars. By December 29, he proposed reforms like raising minimum salaries from $60,000—unchanged since 2004 and equivalent to $120,000 today—and adding maintenance costs to favour domestic hiring.

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The resurfacing of Musk's advocacy coincides with the proclamation's companion "Gold Card" initiative, offering premium visas like the Trump Gold and Platinum Cards for individuals and Corporate Gold for businesses, starting at $1 million. These aim to supplant traditional employment-based green cards for fields like science and arts, providing citizenship pathways for high-value contributors while raising funds.

Immigration advocates warn the H-1B fee could deter early-career professionals, prompting shifts to countries like Canada or the UAE, and exacerbate backlogs for green cards that span decades for Indians. As midterms loom in 2026, the policy tests Trump's balancing act between economic innovation and populist labor protections, with Musk's evolving views—once aligned with calls for increased legal migration—now a poignant footnote

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