US Republicans propose three-year halt on H-1B visas, sweeping overhaul of programme

Republican lawmakers in the US have proposed a bill to pause H-1B visas for three years, cut annual caps, raise wage thresholds, and impose stricter hiring rules, arguing the programme disadvantages American workers and requires comprehensive reform.

Washington: A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced legislation to pause the issuance of H-1B visas for three years and overhaul the programme, arguing it has disadvantaged American workers.

The proposed “End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026”, introduced by Eli Crane, seeks to reset the visa system before resuming it with stricter rules.

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“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 legislation has drawn support 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.

The bill proposes sweeping changes. It would cut the annual H-1B cap from 65,000 to 25,000 and eliminate exemptions. It would replace the lottery system with a wage-based selection process and set a minimum salary of $200,000 per year.

Employers would be required to certify they cannot find a qualified American worker and confirm they have not carried out layoffs. The bill would also bar H-1B workers from holding multiple jobs and prohibit third-party staffing agencies from employing them.

Further provisions include banning H-1B workers from bringing dependents, ending the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, and preventing visa holders from transitioning to permanent residency.

“The H-1B program 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.”

The proposal also seeks to ensure nonimmigrant visas remain temporary by requiring holders to leave the United States before changing to another visa status and prohibiting federal agencies from sponsoring such workers.

Rosemary Jenks, cofounder of the Immigration Accountability Project, described it 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 occupations, particularly in technology and engineering sectors. Indian nationals have historically been the largest beneficiaries of these visas, forming a significant share of the high-skilled workforce in the United States.

The programme has long been a point of political debate in Washington, with critics arguing it undercuts domestic wages, while industry groups maintain it fills critical skill shortages and supports innovation in the US economy.