What is the highly coveted H-1B visa? Trump administration moves put attention on the program

WASHINGTON (AP) — The H-1B visa has long been a highly coveted employment visa for foreign citizens with specialized skills to live and work in the U.S., and recent requests from the Trump administration have put greater attention on the program.

The requests for more information from people applying for or renewing H-1B visas come amid heightened tensions over immigration as President Donald Trump seeks to make good on his vow of mass deportations of people in the country illegally.

Much of Trump’s agenda has been focused on arresting people in the country illegally or reversing Biden-era temporary deportation protections. There has been less attention on employment-based visas or other parts of the legal immigration system — though more than 1,000 international students have had their visas or legal status revoked.

The requests for information come as the H-1B visa program is already a source of division within Trump’s Republican Party.

Here’s a look at what the H-1B visa program is, what critics and supporters say about it, and how the administration’s recent questions have raised concerns.