US Senator Proposes Three-Year Halt on H-1B Visas with Tougher Rules
A U.S. Senator has introduced legislation that would halt the issuance of new H-1B visas for three years and impose stricter requirements on the programme, which is widely used by technology companies to hire skilled workers from countries such as India and China.
Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana introduced the End H-1B Abuse Act in the Senate on Thursday, stating that the current programme undermines American workers. The H-1B visa allows U.S. firms to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations requiring technical expertise.
“The H-1B programme was created to address workforce shortages for specialised, difficult-to-fill positions – not to displace qualified, hardworking Americans with cheaper, foreign labour,” Sheehy said in a statement. He added that his bill would restore the programme to its original intent and close loopholes that incentivise abuse.
The proposed legislation has drawn support from the Immigration Accountability Project and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), groups that advocate for reduced immigration.
Key provisions of the bill include a three-year pause on new H-1B visas, followed by a restart with tighter limits and higher standards. It also seeks to codify a $100,000 fee per H-1B petition that was imposed by the Trump administration but later struck down by a federal court. The Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied the administration’s motion to stay that ruling, calling the fee an unlawful tax not authorised by Congress.
The bill proposes replacing the current random lottery system with a wage-based selection process, banning concurrent employment and third-party staffing-agency models. It would also end the “dual intent” provision that allows H-1B holders to pursue permanent residency, and would prevent dependent family members from accompanying H-class visa holders. Additionally, federal agencies would be barred from sponsoring or employing non-immigrant visa holders, and work authorisation for foreign students and exchange visitors through programmes like Optional Practical Training would be eliminated.
H-1B visas are a critical tool for U.S. technology companies, which hire tens of thousands of employees annually from countries such as India and China. Critics of the proposed bill argue that it could severely impact these firms and the broader economy. The bill’s future remains uncertain as it must pass through the Senate and House of Representatives to become law.
