California, Jan 1
Of all the rich and powerful people cosying up to US President-elect Donald Trump, few have rushed to Mar-a-Lago faster than the crowned heads of big tech, including California's own chiefs of Google and Meta, local media reported.
"And few have a stronger motive to curry Trump's favour than Silicon Valley: the fate of the H-1B visa program that permits foreign-born computer scientists, engineers and other highly skilled workers to migrate to the United States hangs in the balance," noted the report on Tuesday.
Support for retaining H-1B from Elon Musk, the incoming president's new closest associate, has stirred rage through much of Trump's MAGA base, which is against immigration in almost any form. But keeping the pipeline open for tech and other skilled workers is seen by many business leaders as critical for the American economy, especially in California, reports news agency, quoting the Los Angeles Times.
The state is by far the biggest user of the H-1B. In fiscal 2024, more than 9,600 employers in California sought clearance for at least one H-1B worker, and 78,860 visa applications for new and continuing employment were approved, according to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).