New Delhi: A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced a bill seeking to pause the issuance of H-1B visas for three years, along with a major overhaul of the programme. The lawmakers said that the move is aimed at restructuring the visa system with stricter rules before it is resumed.

The H-1B visa programme allows American companies to recruit foreign workers in specialised occupations, particularly in the IT sector. Notably, Indian nationals are the primary beneficiary of the H-1B visa, accounting for approximately 73 per cent total high-skilled beneficiaries of the US visa programme.

The legislation, titled the “End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026,” has been introduced by Eli Crane.

“The federal government should work for hardworking citizens, not the profit margins of massive corporations. We owe it to the American people to prevent the broken H-1B system from boxing them out of jobs they are qualified to perform,” Crane said.

What lawmakers said

He said that the legislation will strengthen protocols in the visa process, besides providing greater access to employment and prioritise the livelihoods of Americans.

Several Republican lawmakers, including Brandon Gill, Paul Gosar and Andy Ogles backed the proposal, saying it will help tighten the H1-B visa system and ensure immigration system “serves American workers first before foreigners”.

One of the lawmakers said that the H-1B programme has been hijacked to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour-plain and simple.

What the bill proposes

The bill proposes to reduce the annual H1-B visa cap from 65,000 to 25,000 and remove all existing exemptions. It also seeks to replace the existing lotter system with a wage-based selection process with a minimum salary threshold set at USD 200,000 per year.