Trump Business Sought to Bring In Almost 200 Employees on Visas in 2025
The former president’s family business accelerated its hiring of overseas employees on short-term work permits this period, even as his government was creating barriers for other companies wanting to do the identical, an analysis released Thursday stated.
Based on data from the federal labor department, the Trump Organization sought to hire at least nearly 200 overseas employees in 2025 for short-term roles at the former president’s Florida property, golf facilities and his winery in Virginia.
The number of requests for H-2A and H-2B visas covering workers including waitstaff, clerks, housekeepers, culinary employees 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 instance in a decade that Trump had attempted to hire more than 100 overseas workers for seasonal jobs at his Florida resort, according to available data.
The disclosure coincides with a tightening on legal immigration by his government that has involved the implementation of a $100,000 fee on skilled worker visas; extra scrutiny of the actions of the millions of people who already hold US visas; and restrictive new rules for international scholars and reporters.
Overall, the Trump Organization aimed to employ 566 foreign laborers over the five years Trump has been in the White House, from 2017 to 2021 and during 2025.
Notably, Trump was questioned by some in the GOP this week for remarks defending the need for overseas employees when a company was unable to find people with “particular skills” to occupy certain positions.
“You can’t just say a nation is coming in, going to spend $10bn to construct a facility, and going to recruit individuals off an unemployment line who haven’t worked in years, and they’re going to start making their missiles. It isn’t feasible that effectively,” he told a host after she suggested that overseas employees lower the wages of American employees.
The administration declined a inquiry for response, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an request for information.
