Trump says skilled immigrants essential, reiterates support for H-1B visas

washington: us president donald trump has reiterated his support for h-1b visas, stating that skilled foreign workers are needed to help train american employees and strengthen the country's high-tech manufacturing capabilities.speaking at a us-saudi investment summit in washington, trump said america requires immigrants who can impart technical expertise to domestic workers, particularly in advanced manufacturing sectors such as semiconductor production.“america needs people who can train our workers in high-tech factories. they will teach our people how to make chips. in the short term, this will help our workforce improve, and after that they can return home,” he said, adding that his aim was to “make america even better.”trump noted that foreign companies investing in manufacturing units in the united states would need to bring thousands of skilled workers with them, and that the government would support such workforce mobility. referring to investors, he said, “if they are going to spend billions of dollars here, we must allow them to bring the people required to open and operate these factories. otherwise, we cannot succeed.”his remarks drew applause from participants at the summit.the h-1b programme allows us companies, especially in the technology sector, to hire highly skilled foreign professionals when suitable american workers are not available. although trump has voiced strong support for skilled immigration, his administration has recently increased the cost of obtaining the visa.inan interview with an english news channel last week, he said the us would need to expand h-1b visas because “americans lack certain skills and must learn from others,” a statement that sparked criticism from several quarters.