More trouble brewing for Indians in US; Bill introduced to scrap H-1B visa program

A US lawmaker has introduced legislation to abolish the H-1B visa programme, citing job losses for American workers. The move could impact thousands of Indian professionals and students, who form the largest share of H-1B visa holders.

Hyderabad: In a move that could unsettle thousands of Indian professionals and prospective students in the United States, a US lawmaker introduced legislation to eliminate the H-1B visa program.

US Representative Greg Steube on Monday introduced the ‘Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act or EXILE Act’. This bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the H-1B visa program.

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More than 80 percent of recipients of H-1B visas are Indian or Chinese nationals with priority given to younger workers.

Highlighting how the H-1B visa program disadvantaged American workers, Rep. Steube said the visa program prevented more than 10,000 US physicians from accessing the residency program by facilitating the arrival of more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors.

Over 16,000 Microsoft employees were displaced following the approval of more than 9,000 H-1B visas in 2025, he said, adding that FedEx’s utilization of the H-1B resulted in the shuttering of more than 100 facilities across the United States.

According to Rep. Steube, Disney laid off 250 employees in 2015, only to replace them with foreign workers brought in via the H-1B visa. In 2014, Southern California Edison fired 540 workers. Their replacements were brought in from two Indian outsourcing firms that utilized the H-1B visa program, he said.

“Prioritizing foreign labor over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests. Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again,” Rep. Steube said in a press release.

The H-1B visa is a work permit that allows companies to hire foreign skilled professionals. Every year, the US government issues 65,000 regular H-1B visas and 20,000 additional visas for workers with advanced degrees obtained from the US universities. So far, most of these visas are being secured by the Indians

As companies are allegedly exploiting the H-1B visa program, the US government tightened the norms. The Trump government recently announced new weighted selection, which prioritizes higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers, ending the random lottery system.

In September 2025, President Trump imposed a $100,000 fee on the applications for new H-1B visas for the applicants. In addition, the social media vetting rule has been enforced from December 15, 2025, mandating the H-1B and H-4 dependents visa applicants to make their social media public for scrutiny.

This was being done for the applicants whose appointments are scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, to ensure thorough background check on the applicants.