US lawmaker introduces Bill to curb H-1B visas, end green card pathway

A Republican congressman has introduced legislation in the US House of Representatives that would significantly tighten the H-1B visa programme, including eliminating its use as a pathway to permanent residency in the United States.

Congressman Chip Roy on Thursday introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act. The Bill also proposes scrapping the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows foreign students to work in the US for a limited period after completing their studies.

"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'.

"It's time to end this lottery-based pipeline and replace it with a system that prioritises merit, enforces real wage standards, and puts American white-collar workers first," Roy, who represents Texas's 21st congressional district, said.

The Bill has received backing from organisations including US Tech Workers, Immigration Accountability Project and Federation for American Immigration Reform.

The move comes as the administration of President Donald Trump continues to tighten legal immigration pathways through stricter visa rules, greater emphasis on higher-paid H-1B applicants and the introduction of a USD 100,000 fee on new petitions.

Beyond ending a route to permanent residency, the Bill proposes sweeping changes to the functioning of the H-1B programme.

For India, the stakes are particularly high. Indians account for the overwhelming majority of H-1B visa recipients and form one of the largest groups of international students in the US. If enacted, the Bill would not only curtail a major pathway from study to employment through the OPT programme but also make it harder for skilled Indian professionals to transition from temporary work visas to permanent residency, potentially affecting both individual migrants and Indian IT firms that rely on the H-1B system.

Under the proposed changes, applicants would have to prove that they maintain a residence outside the United States and do not intend to abandon it, effectively reversing the long-standing "dual intent" policy that allows H-1B holders to seek permanent residency while working in the country.

The Bill would also repeal provisions that currently permit H-1B workers to extend their visa status while awaiting green card processing.

In addition, it seeks to reduce the maximum duration of an H-1B visa from six years to two years and replace the existing lottery-based allocation system with one that prioritises applications offering higher salaries.

"The Bill will effectively address many of the egregious aspects of the H-1B visa programme that have not merely encouraged but enabled corporations, universities and NGOs to displace our most productive workers with cheaper and more quiescent foreigners," said Kevin Lynn, president of US Tech Workers.

Arizona Republican congressman Eli Crane, who has co-sponsored the Bill, said it would introduce reforms designed to protect American workers. "The Bill delivers significant reforms that protect future generations instead of padding bottom lines at their expense," Crane said. "Congress should be doing everything in our power to prioritise our own citizens rather than facilitating their displacement."

Roy, who is set to retire from Congress, had also contested the Republican primary for Texas attorney-general but lost to fellow Republican Mayes Middleton.

With PTI inputs