Trump’s firm seeks H-1B visa despite calling it ‘bad’ for US

MIAMI: The social media company founded by former President Donald Trump applied for a business visa program that he sought to restrict during his administration and which many of his allies want him to curtail in a potential second term.

Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, filed an application in June 2022 for an H-1B visa for a worker at a $ 65,000 annual salary, the lowest wage category allowed under the program. Federal immigration data shows the company was approved for a visa a few months later.

The company says it did not hire the worker. Filing for the visa sets the image of Trump the candidate, who has proposed a protectionist agenda for companies to “hire American,” in conflict with Trump the businessman, who has said his companies will use every tool at their disposal.

Records show the investment firm started by Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, also filed an application and was approved to hire a foreigner as an associate under the same visa program.

Trump Media & Technology Group said in a statement the application “was made under prior management,” even though the current CEO, former House Intelligence Committee chairman and longtime Trump ally Devin Nunes, was already leading the company at the time the application was first filed with the US Department of Labour.

“The company has never hired and has no plans to hire an H-1B visa program worker. When current management learned of this application, which was made under prior management, it swiftly terminated the process in November 2022,” the company said.

An H-1B visa petition can cost companies about $ 5,000 per employee. Companies can withdraw petitions even after being approved.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services records data doesn’t note when visas are revoked. But a spokeswoman for the Labour Department, which also tracks H-1B applications, said they had no records of Truth Social requesting a withdrawal. Tech companies commonly hire employees using the H-1B program.