A group of Republican lawmakers in the United States has proposed a bill seeking a three-year pause on the issuance of H-1B visas, along with a major overhaul of the programme. The legislation, titled
the “End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026,” has been introduced by Eli Crane, who said the move is aimed at restructuring the visa system with stricter rules before it is resumed.
“The federal government should work for hardworking citizens, not the profit margins of massive corporations. We owe it to the American people to prevent the broken H-1B system from boxing them out of jobs they are qualified to perform,” Crane said.
He added the bill “would provide greater access to employment, strengthen protocols in the visa process, and prioritise the livelihoods of Americans.”
The proposal has received backing from several Republican lawmakers, including Brandon Gill, Paul Gosar and Andy Ogles.
“I am proud to cosponsor Rep. Eli Crane’s efforts to reform and tighten our H-1B visa system, ensuring that our immigration system serves American workers first before foreigners,” Gill said.
Under the proposed changes, the annual H-1B visa cap would be reduced from 65,000 to 25,000, and all existing exemptions would be removed. The current lottery system would be replaced with a wage-based selection process, with a minimum salary threshold set at $200,000 per year.
The bill also requires employers to certify that no qualified American worker is available for the role and that no layoffs have taken place. It further bars H-1B visa holders from working multiple jobs and prevents third-party staffing agencies from employing them.
Additional provisions include banning visa holders from bringing dependents, ending the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, and blocking pathways to permanent residency. It also mandates that nonimmigrant visa holders must leave the United States before switching to another visa category, while prohibiting federal agencies from sponsoring such workers.
“The H-1B programme has been hijacked to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor-plain and simple. This bill slams the brakes on a system that’s rigged against our own people and puts American jobs first again,” Gosar said.
Ogles struck a sharper tone, saying, “American workers are being replaced, and cheap foreign labor is the cause. We will not bow down to the corporations, and we will not let Americans become strangers in their own country. End the H-1B scam.”
Rosemary Jenks described the proposal as “the strongest H-1B bill that has ever been introduced in Congress.”
“H-1B visas were sold to the American people as a short-term visa to fill temporary labor gaps while Americans are trained to take those jobs. This bill makes that a reality,” she said, citing provisions such as reducing caps, raising wage thresholds and ending third-party employment.
The H-1B visa programme allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialised fields, particularly in technology and engineering. Indian nationals have historically been among the largest beneficiaries of these visas, forming a significant portion of the high-skilled workforce in the United States.
The programme has long remained a subject of political debate in Washington, with critics arguing it suppresses domestic wages, while industry groups maintain it addresses skill shortages and supports innovation in the US economy.
(With inputs from IANS)
