'Some Misuse, But...': On Nikhil Kamath's Podcast, Musk Says H-1B Visas Shouldn't Be Shut Down

Last Updated:November 30, 2025, 22:10 IST

Musk stressed that the visa system remains important for attracting skilled talent and should be fixed, not scrapped

Tech mogul Elon Musk at the US-Saudi Investment Forum. (Reuters Image)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that while the H-1B visa programme has seen “some misuse" over the years, shutting it down would be a “very bad" idea for the United States.

Speaking on Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s “WTF is" podcast, Musk stressed that the visa system remains important for attracting skilled talent and should be fixed, not scrapped.

Addressing the issue directly, Musk said some outsourcing companies had “gamed the system," creating loopholes that allowed them to misuse H-1B allocations. “I think there’s been some misuse of the, you know, H-1B programme. It would be accurate to say that there’s, you know, like some of the outsourcing companies have kind of gamed the system on the H-1B front, and we need to stop the gaming of the system," he said.

However, Musk made it clear that he disagrees with calls from certain conservative groups to end the H-1B route altogether. “I’m certainly not in the school of thought that we should shut down the H1B programme. That’s–which some on the right are. I think they don’t realise that would actually be very bad," he said, adding that skilled workers have long contributed to America’s innovation ecosystem.

For decades, the H-1B visa has been the dream ticket for thousands of Indian engineers, data scientists, and technology professionals aspiring to build careers in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and other US tech hubs. It symbolised opportunity, innovation, cutting-edge exposure, and above all — a global identity.

Musk’s advice to Indian entrepreneurs

In the same episode, when Kamath asked him to share a message for young Indian entrepreneurs, Musk said he admired anyone who built things of value. “I’m a big fan of anyone who wants to build. So if anyone who wants to, you know, make more than they take, has my respect," he said.

“That’s the one thing you should aim for. Aim for make more than they take. Be a net contributor to the society," he added.

The tech billionaire further stated that success should be pursued through creating useful products and services rather than chasing money directly. “If you want to create something valuable financially, you don’t pursue that. it’s best actually pursue providing useful products and services. If you do that, then the money will come naturally as a consequences of that, as opposed to pursuing money indirectly. Just like you can’t pursue happiness directly, you pursue things that leads to happiness," he said.

News world 'Some Misuse, But...': On Nikhil Kamath's Podcast, Musk Says H-1B Visas Shouldn't Be Shut Down

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