Train them, then go home: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explains Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa policy

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 host Brian Kilmeade, 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.

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.”

Bessent said Trump’s goal is to use temporary visa programmes 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.

The comments come as Trump’s own remarks on foreign labor have divided parts of his MAGA base. In a separate Fox interview, the president said the US “doesn’t have certain talents,” arguing that foreign experts are needed to train Americans in technical fields. “You can’t take people off the unemployment line and say, ‘We’re going to make missiles,’” Trump said.

Bessent also touched on the administration’s economic agenda, confirming discussions on a possible $2,000 tariff rebate for families earning under $100,000. “The president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate,” he said. “It’s part of ensuring families feel the benefits of strong trade policy.”

Calling 2026 a potential blockbuster year for the US economy, Bessent said the administration’s vision of Parallel Prosperity, where Wall Street and Main Street grow together, depends on keeping the Treasury market deep, liquid, and stable.

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