Washington, D.C., June 6, 2026:
A new bill introduced in the United States Congress seeks to significantly overhaul the H-1B visa programme, a move that could affect thousands of highly skilled foreign professionals, particularly Indians working in the US technology sector.
Republican Representative Chip Roy has introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026, proposing sweeping changes to the long-standing visa programme that allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialised occupations.
The proposed legislation would replace the current lottery-based H-1B selection system with a wage-based process, prioritising applicants offered higher salaries. It would also require employers to prove that qualified American workers are unavailable before hiring foreign professionals.
Introducing the bill, Roy argued that the H-1B programme has been misused for decades.
“For its nearly forty-year history, the H-1B visa has been abused, allowing employers to routinely sideline American STEM workers in favour of cheap foreign labour, while masking layoffs and wage suppression as shortages,” Roy said.
Under the proposed reforms, companies would be required to advertise positions domestically and offer jobs to equally or better-qualified American candidates before recruiting foreign workers. Firms that have recently laid off employees would also be prohibited from hiring H-1B workers.
One of the most significant changes in the bill is the proposal to end the use of H-1B visas as a pathway to permanent residency. The legislation also seeks to eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which currently allows international students graduating from US universities to remain and work in the country after completing their studies.
While retaining the annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas, the bill proposes allocating visas based on salary levels rather than through a random lottery. It would also reduce the maximum H-1B stay from six years to two calendar years and impose a seven per cent cap on admissions from any single country.
The legislation builds on a separate proposal by Eli Crane, who has advocated for a three-year suspension of H-1B visa issuances followed by broader reforms.
Crane said the programme currently disadvantages American workers.
“An H-1B program overrun with abuse betrays the interests of hardworking Americans by allowing businesses to replace qualified employees with cheaper foreign labour,” he said.
The proposal has received support from several immigration-restriction organisations. Industry groups backing the legislation argue that the reforms would ensure the programme serves only highly skilled workers while protecting employment opportunities for US citizens.
The H-1B visa remains one of the most sought-after work visas for foreign professionals, particularly from India. It is extensively used by technology companies, consulting firms, healthcare providers, engineering organisations and research institutions to recruit specialised talent from around the world.
If enacted, the proposed reforms could significantly alter the pathway through which thousands of Indian professionals and international students pursue employment opportunities in the United States.
