Republican Bill Proposes Drastic Cuts to H-1B Visa Program

Texas Congressman Chip Roy has introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act, a legislative push to dismantle the H-1B visa pipeline. The bill seeks to eliminate the visa’s role as a pathway to permanent residency, shorten stay durations, and scrap the optional practical training program for foreign students.

The proposal marks a sharp pivot from current immigration policy by dismantling the "dual intent" provision, which allows visa holders to seek green cards while employed in the United States. Under the new rules, applicants would be required to prove they maintain a residence abroad with no intention of abandoning it. Furthermore, the bill mandates a reduction in the maximum H-1B visa duration from six years to two years and replaces the current lottery system with a salary-based prioritization model.

Roy, who represents Texas’s 21st district, argues the H-1B system has been systematically abused to suppress wages and sideline American STEM workers. He is joined by co-sponsor Eli Crane of Arizona, who claims the reforms are necessary to stop corporations from displacing domestic workers. The legislation has garnered support from advocacy groups, including the Federation for American Immigration Reform and US Tech Workers, as the Trump administration continues to tighten restrictions on legal migration through increased fees and stricter wage requirements.