Raining bills, rising barriers: Why America’s H-1B debate needs reform, not rhetoric

Governor Greg Abbott ordered a hiring freeze for state agencies and public universities that will remain in place until May 2027, aligning with broader restrictive messaging.

Florida’s public university system halted new H-1B visa hires through January 2027 as part of state-level actions amid the broader national debate.

The article notes that the H-1B cap lottery for the fiscal year beginning in October 2026 adopted a weighted selection process that favors higher-paid applicants, signaling wage escalation as a trend in H-1B policy.

Around the same period, the End H-1B Now Act associated with former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was introduced, advocating a complete dismantling of the H-1B system.

Congressman Eli Crane introduced the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 in April 2026. The bill calls for a three-year pause on new H-1B visas, reducing the annual cap to 25,000, setting a minimum salary of $200,000, eliminating OPT, restricting H-1B-to-green-card transitions, barring staffing firms from using H-1B visas, and requiring sponsors to certify the absence of qualified American workers and no layoffs.

Congressman Greg Steube introduced the EXILE Act in February 2026, proposing to eliminate the H-1B program beginning in fiscal year 2027.

In late 2025, Congressman Chip Roy introduced the PAUSE Act, aiming to freeze legal immigration admissions until restrictive provisions are enacted, including ending adjustment of status for H-1B visa holders, scrapping the OPT program, and denying various benefits to non-citizens.

Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin reintroduced the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act in September 2025. The bipartisan bill prioritizes STEM visa issuances, increases salary requirements for foreign hires, and requires employers to certify that H-1B hires have not displaced American workers.