Republican Lawmaker Proposes Major Overhaul of H-1B Visa Programme, Raising Concerns for Foreign Professionals

Washington, June 2026 : A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill in the US Congress seeking sweeping changes to the H-1B visa programme, a move that could significantly impact thousands of highly skilled foreign professionals, particularly Indian workers who form one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders in the United States.

Representative Chip Roy of Texas has unveiled the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026, proposing a comprehensive restructuring of the visa programme that allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialised occupations such as technology, engineering, healthcare and research.

The proposed legislation aims to replace the current lottery-based H-1B selection system with a wage-driven model that would prioritise applicants offered higher salaries. According to Roy, the objective is to ensure that the programme serves genuinely high-skilled positions rather than being used as a source of lower-cost labour.

“For nearly four decades, the H-1B programme has been misused in ways that have disadvantaged American STEM professionals and contributed to wage suppression,” Roy said while introducing the bill. He argued that the visa system should reward merit, enforce stronger wage standards and prioritise employment opportunities for American workers.

One of the key provisions of the legislation would require employers to demonstrate that qualified American workers are unavailable before hiring foreign professionals. Companies would need to advertise vacancies within the United States and offer positions to equally or more qualified American candidates before sponsoring H-1B workers.

The bill also seeks to prevent firms that have recently conducted layoffs from recruiting foreign workers through the H-1B programme. Supporters of the proposal contend that this measure would protect domestic workers during periods of workforce reductions.

While the legislation retains the existing annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas, it proposes significant changes to eligibility and allocation. Instead of a random lottery, visas would be awarded based on salary levels, giving preference to higher-paying positions. The proposal would also reduce the maximum duration of H-1B status from six years to two years and impose a seven per cent limit on visa allocations from any single country.

Another major change involves the elimination of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which currently allows many international students graduating from US universities to remain and work in the country for a period after completing their studies. The bill would also remove the use of H-1B visas as a pathway toward permanent residency in the United States.

The proposal builds on earlier efforts by Eli Crane of Arizona, who has advocated a temporary suspension of H-1B visa issuances followed by broader reforms to the programme.

Several organisations that favour tighter immigration controls have expressed support for the legislation. Advocates argue that the reforms would curb abuses, strengthen wage protections and ensure that highly specialised positions are filled only when qualified American workers are unavailable.

The H-1B programme remains a critical recruitment channel for sectors including information technology, consulting, healthcare, engineering and scientific research. Any significant changes to the programme could have far-reaching consequences for employers, international students and foreign professionals seeking career opportunities in the United States.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)