Shark Tank star warns Trump’s changes to H-1B visa program will push innovation to other countries
Kevin O’Leary says Trump’s visa program changes ‘will hurt innovation long-term’
- Kevin O’Leary, a star of the reality TV show Shark Tank, has warned that the president’s controversial changes to the H-1B visa program will “hurt innovation long-term” and push foreign talent away from the US.
- Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on all H-1B visa applicants, which took effect on Sunday and is set to remain in force for 12 months.
- H-1B visas are designed to bring highly skilled foreign workers, particularly in the tech sector, to the US for jobs deemed difficult to fill.
- O’Leary argued that individuals educated at US institutions like MIT or Harvard should be given a “free ticket to stay here” to form companies and build American businesses.
- While the president stated the fee ensures “great workers” and that companies are “very happy”, the White House Press Secretary clarified it is a one-time fee and does not apply to existing H-1B visa holders re-entering the country.