The H-1B visa may soon resemble a temporary “teaching fellowship” rather than a work visa, based on clarifications from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. After Donald Trump spoke of needing “talent,” Bessent explained this “talent” would be used for “knowledge transfer.”
The new policy is “Come to US, train American workers, go home.” This reframes the entire purpose of skilled immigration, focusing on upskilling Americans.
Bessent suggested a “three, five, seven” year model, where foreign experts “train the US workers.” Once the knowledge is transferred, “they can go home.”
This addresses a skills gap. “An American can’t have that job, not yet,” Bessent said, because the US “haven’t built ships… [or] semiconductors” in years.
This “home run” strategy of “teaching American workers” and “returning home” is designed to make the US workforce self-sufficient in high-tech fields.