No H-1B visa, study and get out: Trump aide's message to foreign students

Business Standard

11 hours ago

Steve Bannon, former White House strategist and close aide to US President Donald Trump, has called for a complete purge of international students from American universities. Bannon's comments reignite the debate over the future of the H-1B visa programme and the place of foreign talent in the United States.
'I don't think you should have any foreign students in the country right now,' said Bannon, claiming that international students are edging out American students from educational and job opportunities. He added, 'Instead of stapling a green card to their diploma, the administration should staple an exit visa. Boom, you are out of here. You get 30 days to hang out with classmates, you can come back for alumni stuff, but you are gone.'
Why does Bannon believe foreign students are harming America?
Bannon argued that allowing foreign students to stay in the US after graduation drains other countries of talent, likening it to British imperial policies. '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,' he said.
He also warned that blocking legal pathways like student visas will only worsen illegal immigration. 'If everyone wants to come to Harvard and they can't, they will come through Central America, and we'll stay in the same mess we are trying to clear now,' said Bannon.
Are H-1B visas responsible for American job losses?
The H-1B visa programme has come under renewed scrutiny as US tech giants announce waves of layoffs. According to Layoffs.fyi, around 80,000 tech jobs have been cut this year. While companies insist that foreign workers are also being laid off and that H-1B visas are not to blame, American tech workers remain sceptical.
In 2024, nearly 400,000 H-1B visas were approved — more than double the number issued in 2000. However, a large portion of these approvals were for renewals rather than new applications. Most H-1B holders work at major firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, who invest heavily to retain foreign-born employees, Newsweek reported.
What did Vice President JD Vance say about hiring foreign workers?
US Vice President JD Vance has criticised tech companies for firing American workers while continuing to hire from abroad. In July, Vance publicly targeted Microsoft, saying he doesn't believe the 'bulls**t story' that companies can't find qualified Americans.
'We want the very best and the brightest to make America their home. But I don't want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, 'We can't find workers here in America.' That's a bulls**t story,' said Vance during a bipartisan forum.
The US labour market has also shown signs of weakness. The July jobs report revealed only 73,000 new jobs added that month, with downward revisions slashing 258,000 jobs from May and June figures.
How are these remarks affecting international students?
Bannon's comments come as foreign students, especially from India, face mounting challenges in securing US visas for the upcoming academic session.
'The 27 per cent drop in the number of F-1 student visas, particularly for Indian students, may seem linked to Trump's return, but the reasons go deeper,' Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, a study abroad platform, told Business Standard.
Shekhawat explained that visa denials were already on the rise even before Trump's re-election. 'However, the decline significantly accelerated after the introduction of new immigration norms by his administration. In May 2025, the US government paused pending visa interviews and tightened vetting, causing delays and a large number of cancellations,' she said.
Are Indian students now choosing other countries to study abroad?
Shekhawat noted that Indian students are now actively exploring alternatives to the US. 'We have witnessed firsthand a clear shift in students' outlook towards studying in the US. The majority are increasingly turning to destinations like New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Australia and France,' she said.
According to her, this change is not only because of visa rejections. 'Indian students are aligning strategically towards a broader portfolio of study abroad opportunities, moving beyond traditional destinations like the US and UK,' said Shekhawat.