WASHINGTON DC: A group of Republican lawmakers from US President Donald Trump’s party has introduced a bill seeking a three-year suspension of the H-1B visa program.
The proposed law, titled the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, was introduced by Congressman Eli Crane and backed by seven other Republicans.
The bill would reduce the yearly H-1B visa limit from 65000 to 25000 while establishing a new wage requirement of 200000 dollars for international employees.
The current lottery system for selecting applicants will be replaced by a system that uses wage levels to determine who gets selected. The legislation includes several other tough conditions.
The legislation would prevent H-1B visa holders from bringing their family members to the United States, while it would terminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students, and it would prohibit federal agencies from employing nonimmigrant personnel.
Employers would have to demonstrate that all American applicants who meet job requirements are unavailable before they can recruit international employees. Supporters of the bill say the H-1B system has been misused and should be restructured to protect American workers.
Eli Crane said the government should serve American citizens rather than large corporations using the visa route to fill jobs. The proposed law would create major difficulties for international workers who depend on H-1B visas to obtain employment and establish permanent residency in the United States.
The proposal has reached its initial development phase, but it will experience difficulties because of the upcoming congressional voting. Business groups have previously criticized attempts to establish significant H-1B program limitations through similar methods.
