Elon Musk has publicly supported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the upcoming November 5 US election, according to AFP.
The Washington Post recently reported that South African-born billionaire Elon Musk had engaged in illegal work in the United States during the 1990s while establishing a startup company. Musk swiftly refuted this claim, stating that he was legally permitted to work in the US during that time. 'I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H1-B,' he clarified on his social media platform X. The J-1 visa is designed for foreign students seeking academic training in the US, whereas the H1-B visa is intended for temporary employment.
The Washington Post further revealed that Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 with the intention of attending Stanford University. However, he never enrolled in the graduate program and instead focused on developing software company Zip2, which was eventually sold for approximately $300 million in 1999. Two immigration law experts cited by the Post suggested that Musk would have required full-time enrollment in a study program to maintain valid work authorization as a student.
In a 2020 podcast referenced by the Post, Musk acknowledged, 'I was legally there, but I was meant to be doing student work. I was allowed to do work sort of supporting whatever.' The Washington Post also quoted two former colleagues of Musk who recalled him obtaining his US work authorization around 1997.
Musk's endorsement of Trump in the November 5 election, where the former president is up against Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris, highlights a close race according to polls. Trump has long characterized migrants as invaders and criminals, and during his presidency from 2017 to 2021, he implemented strict measures to curb both legal and illegal migration. If reelected, Trump promises the most extensive deportation effort in US history.
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