Steve Bannon, a former advisor to Donald Trump, has demanded a full stop to the H-1B visa program and is urging tighter restrictions on international students remaining in the U.S. after completing their graduation.
Bannon says, “I don’t think you should have any foreign students in the country right now. No H-1B visas. Instead of stapling a green card to their diploma, staple an exit visa. You get 30 days to hang out with classmates, do alumni stuff, then leave,” in a recent podcast.
According to Bannon, staying overtime in the U.S. ruins the progress of the other countries. Highlighting this view, he stated, “The countries of the world won’t get better if you’re sucking up every piece of talent. That’s how the British ran their empire. It’s imperial.”
The U.S. president’s former advisor had earlier stated in a podcast that “we need to cut all visa programs. If you need an Einstein, there’s always a way to get one in. But I’m also a big advocate of sending those Einsteins home and having them make their countries great again. That’s how you get peace and prosperity worldwide.”
READ: Binal Patel named new executive director of Neighborhood Villages (July 28, 2025)
Bannon has long opposed the H-1B visa law passed in 1990, arguing that it has been exploited by tech companies to sideline American workers. In December 2024, he called the program “a total and complete scam to destroy the American worker,” claiming it allows firms to prioritize low-cost foreign talent over domestic hires. He has also taken aim at Elon Musk for supporting the visa system.
With recent proposed immigration policies and tightening rules for visa scrutiny as well as Trump slamming outsourcing employees, Bannon’s view is no different from it. Bannon’s views closely align with the Trump administration working procedure at the heart of immigration. His remarks are a harsh departure from the current system, which gives students time to find jobs and potentially transition to longer-term employment through an H‑1B visa.
Even recently, Republican Senator and Vice President JD Vance had slammed the big tech companies in the U.S. for giving employment through the H-1B visa.
READ: Three Indian American-led firms among TIME100 Most Influential Companies (July 24, 2025)
“If you’re not hiring American workers coming out of colleges for these jobs, then how can you say that you have a massive shortage in these jobs?” Vance stated. “You see some Big Tech companies where they’ll lay off 9,000 workers, and then they’ll apply for a bunch of overseas visas,” he added.
These comments and remarks highlight a major unsettling trend surrounding the visa row and the employment of others. With a focus on the Americans first, international students might come under political fire and face a great deal of uncertainty.