United States President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has always been in favour of H1-B short-term visas, amid demands from a section of social media users that visas under the category be curtailed, the New York Post reported.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers for special occupations.

In the past few years, Indians have constituted the majority of H-1B visa holders in the United States. Indians comprised 72.3% of all H-1B visas issued by the United States in fiscal year 2023.

A controversy about the matter erupted after billionaire businessman Elon Musk, a supporter of the United States president-elect, backed H1B visas in response to a post on X suggesting that such visas be curtailed.

“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,” Musk said on Saturday. “…I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”

Later in the day, Trump backed Musk on the subject, and told the New York Post: “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favour of the visas. That’s why we have them.”

Trump further said: “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great programme.”

The Republican leader’s comments amid racist abuse directed at Indian-Americans after Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan was appointed as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence.

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