Congress raises H-1B wage floor to 2× average—tech sector braces for cost shock
H.R. 10799 — Protecting American Workers Through H–1B Modernization Act · Filed by Glenn Grothman (R-WI) · Introduced Oct 13, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill raises the minimum wage requirement for H-1B visa workers from a fixed $60,000 to twice the national average wage index (approximately $168,000 in 2024). The stated intent is to protect American workers by making it more expensive for employers to hire foreign workers on H-1B visas, theoretically encouraging them to hire domestic workers instead.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a straightforward amendment raising the minimum wage for exempt H-1B workers from $60,000 to twice the national average wage index. It is a direct labor-cost intervention with no hidden provisions or riders.
What the text implies
- Employers may respond by reducing H-1B hiring, shifting positions to offshore development centers, or accelerating automation rather than hiring domestic workers.
- The wage floor is indexed to the national average wage index, which rises annually—creating an automatic escalation mechanism that does not require future legislative action.
- High-skill sectors (tech, finance, healthcare) that rely heavily on H-1B workers may face significant cost increases, potentially raising prices for consumers or reducing service availability.
- The bill does not address whether the new wage floor applies retroactively to existing H-1B visa holders or only to new petitions, creating potential ambiguity in implementation.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill may reduce competition for some U.S. workers in high-skill sectors by raising the cost of hiring H-1B workers, potentially protecting wages for American tech and professional workers. However, it may also reduce the total number of H-1B positions available (employers may hire fewer foreign workers or shift hiring abroad), and could increase costs for consumers and businesses reliant on H-1B talent, with uncertain net employment effects.
Who stands to gain
- U.S. workers in high-skill professions (tech, finance, engineering, healthcare) who face reduced for
- Domestic staffing and recruitment firms that may see increased demand for American worker placement
Named in the bill
H-1B visa program, Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Social Security Administration (wage index), U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Technology sector employers, Professional services firms
Where it stands
- Oct 13, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 13, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (445 characters) on Oct 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,388 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-21.
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