What many mistook for a softer immigration policy from Donald Trump is actually a “train and depart” program, according to Scott Bessent. He clarified that Trump’s comments on needing foreign talent are part of a “knowledge transfer” strategy. This plan would see H-1B visa holders enter the US, “train the US workers,” and then “go home.”
Trump’s initial remarks on Fox News had suggested a major policy shift. He defended the need for skilled immigrants, arguing that the US must “bring talent into the country.” He went on to say that Americans “don’t have certain talents” and “have to learn,” which was seen as a nod to a more open H-1B program.
Scott Bessent, however, provided a clarification that fundamentally alters this perception. He stated the policy’s goal is not to replace Americans, but to educate them. The “overseas workers who have the skills” would be brought in as temporary instructors, not permanent employees.
Bessent outlined a system of fixed-term visas, suggesting “three, five, seven years” as possible durations. During this time, the foreign expert’s primary role would be to transfer their skills to their American colleagues, preparing them to take over the job.
Bessent championed this as a “home run,” particularly for high-tech industries like semiconductors and shipbuilding. He justified the policy by stating, “An American can’t have that job, not yet.” This “train and depart” model, he argued, would lead to a fully capable American workforce “fully taking over.”