Washington: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa policy is designed to temporarily bring in skilled foreign experts to train American workers, not replace them.
Speaking to Fox News, Bessent described the plan as a “knowledge transfer” strategy designed to rebuild US manufacturing, shipbuilding, and semiconductor production after decades of outsourcing. “Train the US workers. Then go home. Then the US workers fully take over,” Bessent said, summing up the administration’s vision for the new visa system.
Trump has said that while his administration prioritized American jobs, certain sectors, particularly manufacturing and defense, require expertise that cannot easily be sourced domestically, adding that the US workforce lacks some of the specialized skills needed for complex, high-tech roles.
When asked about concerns that foreign workers could displace Americans, Bessent pushed back firmly. “An American can’t have that job — not yet,” he said. “We haven’t built ships or semiconductors here for years. Overseas partners coming in, teaching American workers — that’s a home run.”
He said Trump’s goal is to use temporary visa programs like H-1B to import expertise for a limited period, ensuring US workers can acquire skills before foreign professionals return home. The plan, he explained, reflects Trump’s broader push to repatriate critical industries and reduce reliance on imports.
