Trump Organization Sought to Bring In Nearly 200 Employees on Visas in 2025
Donald Trump’s corporate entity accelerated its hiring of overseas employees on short-term work permits this year, while his administration was placing obstacles for other companies wanting to do the identical, an analysis released Thursday claimed.
Based on information from the US Department of Labor, the Trump Organization sought to bring in at least 184 foreign workers in 2025 for temporary positions at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, golf facilities and his winery in Virginia.
The number of applications for H-2A and H-2B visas for staff including waitstaff, clerks, cleaning staff, kitchen staff and farm workers was the highest ever submitted by the organization, and increased from over 120 in 2021, when Trump’s first term concluded.
It was also the fifth time in 10 years that Trump had sought to bring in over a hundred foreign employees for temporary positions at Mar-a-Lago, based on labor statistics.
The revelation comes amid a crackdown on legal immigration by his administration that has included the introduction of a $100,000 fee on skilled worker visas; extra scrutiny of the activities of the 55 million people who already hold US visas; and tighter regulations for international scholars and reporters.
Overall, the Trump Organization sought to hire 566 overseas workers over the period Trump has been in the presidency, from his first term and during 2025.
Notably, Trump was criticized by some in the Republican party this week for comments defending the necessity for foreign workers when a business was unable to find people with “specific talents” to occupy certain positions.
“You cannot just say a country is coming in, going to invest $10bn to build a plant, and going to recruit individuals off an jobless roster who haven’t worked in years, and they’re going to start producing their defense systems. It doesn’t work that effectively,” he told a host after she suggested that overseas employees undercut the wages of US workers.
The administration refused a inquiry for comment, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an request for information.
