🛂 Topic
Opposed = worked against immigrants or visa holders. Supported = defended or sponsored them.
3
Opposed
8
Mixed
0
Silent
21
Supported
Posted on X after a federal border agent shot an American citizen in Minneapolis, stating "no law enforcement has shot an innocent person" and that "illegals are committing violent crimes every day." Khosla Ventures partner Ethan Choi and founder Vinod Khosla both publicly disavowed the comments in January 2026.
CEO Jensen Huang publicly stated Trump's H-1B restrictions "would have prevented his family from immigrating" to the US in October 2025, defending skilled immigrant workers as critical to AI and semiconductor industries. Reacted critically to the $100K H-1B fee hike.
After Trump announced a $100,000 H-1B visa fee in September 2025, Huang committed Nvidia to cover all H-1B costs for its 1,400 visa holders (~$147M total exposure). Shared his personal story as a Taiwanese immigrant who moved to the US at age 9: "My family's immigration would not have been possible" under the new policy. Said "legal immigration remains essential" and "the miracle of Nvidia would not be possible without immigration."
Committed to cover the $100,000 H-1B visa fee for all 1,400 of its visa-sponsored employees after Trump's September 2025 policy announcement, absorbing an estimated $147M in potential fees. CEO Jensen Huang said Nvidia's success was built on immigrant talent and that "immigration is the foundation of the American Dream."
Reacted positively to Trump's H-1B fee hike to $100,000 in September 2025, saying "We need to get the smartest people in the country, and streamlining that process seems good to me." Critics noted this position favored large companies like OpenAI over smaller startups unable to afford the steep fee.
Long-time advocate for high-skill immigration reform. Called reform "one of the easiest policy wins" for the US. In September 2025 expressed measured support for Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee, saying "streamlining that process and also outlining financial incentives seems good to me" — framing higher costs as a merit filter. Previously stated the US should embrace immigrants who want to come: "embracing them is the key to keeping it that way."
On the Lex Fridman Podcast (#458, January 2025), Andreessen stated he had argued "the pro high-skilled immigration argument many, many times, the H-1B argument many times" in Washington. Called the H-1B "a mechanism by which you can get super smart people from the rest of the world, import them in, keep them here to increase the productivity of US companies." Advocated doing both: bringing skilled immigrants while also training American talent, saying "what if we did both?" to "diffuse the issue."
Active H-1B visa sponsor: filed ~105 LCAs in FY2025 with 100% approval rate and 77 USCIS petitions with ~97% approval. Careers page states: "If we make you an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to get you a visa, and we retain an immigration lawyer to help with this."
An Irish immigrant who came to the U.S. on a student visa, Collison is a consistent public advocate for high-skilled immigration. Has said "without immigrants, Silicon Valley is finished" and criticized U.S. immigration policy as something the tech industry succeeds "despite rather than because of." Warned Trump's immigration restrictions were harmful for startups and the broader tech ecosystem.
Active H-1B sponsor: filed 272 LCAs in FY2025 with ~99% approval rate and 217 USCIS petitions with 211 approved. Over FY2022–2024 filed 851 LCAs and 153 green card labor certifications. The Collison brothers' immigrant backgrounds (both from Ireland on student visas) inform a company culture of supporting high-skilled immigration.
A Guatemalan immigrant himself, von Ahn publicly criticized restrictive immigration policies in the U.S. and UK. Told the Evening Standard: "It just makes no sense to close your doors to some of the brightest people in the world. Countries like the US and the UK talk a lot about competing with China — the only way you can do that is by attracting the best from the whole world." Called the tone of immigration political debate "problematic."
Triggered a "MAGA civil war" in December 2024 by defending H-1B visas, saying the program built SpaceX and Tesla. Told immigration hardliners to "f*** yourself" and pledged to "fight to my last drop of blood" to keep America a meritocracy, splitting with Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer in Trump's coalition.
Indian immigrant now advising restrictionist administration. H-1B debate between MAGA factions. Criticized by anti-immigration wing.
Armstrong has consistently advocated for talent-based immigration, stating the US should attract the world's best talent to remain competitive. Coinbase is an active H-1B visa sponsor, filing hundreds of applications annually. Armstrong has not made anti-immigration statements and in 2025 welcomed DOGE staff to join Coinbase after their government service ended, signaling openness to global talent recruitment.
Y Combinator international founder friendly. Global batches. Visa assistance for founders.
Sequoia global offices. International founders supported. Traditional immigrant-friendly VC.
a16z supports H-1B but partners have mixed views. MAGA alignment complicates.
Founders Fund Peter Thiel immigrant but supports restrictive policies. Contradictory.
Khosla Ventures Vinod Khosla immigrant success. Supportive of H-1B and skilled immigration.
Greylock Reid Hoffman LinkedIn for jobs. Pro-immigration stance historically.
Salesforce Marc Benioff supported DACA. Global workforce. Pro-immigration historically.