Should the H-1B Program Be Shut Down? Musk on Nikhil Kamath Podcast

(UNITED STATES) Elon Musk has argued that the H-1B visa program should be repaired rather than scrapped, telling Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath that shutting it down would be “very bad” for the United States 🇺🇸 and for global innovation. Speaking on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast “WTF is,” in a conversation released on November 30, 2025, Musk said that while some companies have misused the system, the core idea of bringing highly skilled workers to the country remains essential.

Core argument: fix the program, don’t end it

Musk said the H-1B visa program plays a central role in allowing the United States to bring in skilled professionals for complex work that many local employers struggle to fill. He warned that closing the door on this route would hurt the U.S. economy and its position in technology and science.

According to Musk, the problem is not the concept of high-skilled visas but the way some outsourcing firms have “gamed the system,” triggering political backlash and public anger.

“The system should be fixed, not thrown away.”
— Elon Musk (on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast)

Abuse versus utility

Musk was clear that abuse of the rules must be addressed, especially where outsourcing companies use H-1B workers in ways critics say undercut American workers. However, he insisted the answer is:

• Tighter rules
• Smarter enforcement

not ending the program altogether. He framed it as a common policy problem: a useful policy blamed for the actions of a smaller group of bad actors.

The role of Indian talent

Musk tied his defense of the H-1B program to the long-running contribution of Indian professionals in the United States. He pointed to tech leaders such as Satya Nadella (Microsoft) and Sundar Pichai (Google) as examples of how Indian talent has shaped modern American technology.

He called India’s talent pool “extraordinary” and said the U.S. has gained “immense benefit” from people who arrived as students or high-skilled workers and later led major companies. Analysis by VisaVerge.com supports this, showing Indian nationals as one of the largest user groups of the H-1B category.

Labor market and skills scarcity

In the interview, Musk reiterated that there is an ongoing scarcity of people who can handle the hardest technical roles. He described a global shortage of top-level engineers and problem-solvers, saying that for many advanced jobs:

• “There just aren’t enough talented people.”

In his view, cutting off a legal path for those workers to come to the U.S. would weaken American companies while rival countries compete to attract the same pool of skilled people.

Border policy and political context

Although focused mainly on high-skilled immigration, Musk also criticized what he described as poorly controlled border policies under President Biden. He argued that lack of control at the border has fed public frustration and negative feelings about immigration overall.

At the same time, he stressed a clear distinction:

• Debates over illegal entry should not be used to dismantle legal channels for high-skilled workers.

Political and business split

Musk’s comments reflect a growing split in U.S. political and business circles:

• Some lawmakers call for sharp cuts or even a shutdown of the H-1B route, often citing outsourcing firms that submit large numbers of applications and place workers at third-party sites.
• Others in tech and business argue, as Musk does, that the country needs foreign talent to stay competitive.

While the podcast did not dive deeply into legal specifics, Musk’s basic message was that reform should target misuse while keeping the door open for genuine specialists.

Advice to Indian entrepreneurs

Musk linked immigration to entrepreneurship, especially for young Indians planning their careers. His advice to Indian founders:

1. Focus on building products and services that truly help people.
2. Avoid chasing quick money.
3. Trust that if you create things that are genuinely useful, financial success tends to follow.

This view reinforces his defense of high-skilled migration: allowing bright people to move where they can build the most helpful products benefits both the host country and the wider world.

Official H-1B information and process

Official information about the H-1B framework, including filing rules and employer responsibilities, is published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on its H-1B pages at https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations.

Employers who sponsor workers usually submit a petition on Form I-129, the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, which is also available on the same government site at https://www.uscis.gov/i-129.

While Musk did not mention forms or paperwork on the podcast, his call to “fix, not scrap” the system suggests support for tighter oversight of these existing legal channels rather than closing them.

Quick reference table

Takeaway

The “WTF is” episode with Elon Musk adds a prominent voice to the ongoing debate about U.S. immigration rules at a time of political tension and economic change. By stressing both the risks of abuse and the gains from high-skilled arrivals, Musk sought to balance criticism of the current setup with a defense of the underlying idea.

For many foreign professionals — especially in India — his remarks will be watched closely as another indication that leading business figures still view the H-1B visa program as central to America’s economic story, even as political sentiment around immigration remains heated.