'They are the reason you can tweet at all': Former Twitter executive slams H-1B visa fee, defends immigrant workers

Esther Crawford, the former director of product management at Twitter (now X), has strongly criticised the new $100,000 fee imposed on H-1B visas under US President Donald Trump. The fee particularly impacts technology workers from India and China who help sustain the US technology industry. In a post on X, Crawford highlighted the crucial role of immigrant engineers from India and China in keeping the platform operational during its transition under Elon Musk's acquisition. She pointed out that these workers, mostly on H-1B visas, worked long hours to solve complex technical issues, making significant contributions alongside their American colleagues.

See the post below

She urged people to reconsider their anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying, “When posting anti-immigrant takes, remember: they’re the reason you can tweet at all.” Currently, Indians represent over 70% of the approximately 400,000 H-1B visa holders in the US, with Chinese workers following at around 12%.

While Musk has remained silent on the matter, his past statements suggest a more nuanced view. Musk has expressed support for the H-1B visa program, but also suggested that it needs to be more expensive to eliminate abuses, a stance that aligns with Trump’s argument that the system has been exploited and should prioritise “truly high-skilled” workers.

The $100,000 one-time fee could severely undermine the H-1B visa program. Given that the median salary for H-1B holders is often below that threshold, many companies may opt not to spend such a large sum on foreign workers. This could lead to jobs being shifted overseas, especially with the introduction of the HIRE Act, which would impose heavy taxes on payments to foreign companies for outsourced work. In the long term, these changes could shift the landscape of US tech work, making it more expensive to hire foreign talent or pushing companies to look elsewhere for labour solutions.