Congress pauses H-1B visas for 3 years, then caps program at 25,000 annually

What it does

This bill imposes a three-year pause on all new H-1B visa issuance and, once that pause ends, drastically restricts the program by capping it at 25,000 visas per year (down from current ~85,000), requiring employers to pay H-1B workers at least $200,000 annually, imposing a $100,000 fee per petition, eliminating the visa lottery, banning concurrent employment and staffing agencies, barring H-1B workers from federal employment, eliminating Optional Practical Training for foreign students, and blocking H-1B visa holders from adjusting to permanent residency or changing visa status. The bill benefits U.S. workers by reducing foreign labor competition and raising wage floors; it harms employers reliant on H-1B talent, international students, and foreign nationals seeking U.S. employment.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is to reduce foreign labor supply and raise wage floors for H-1B workers through a combination of numerical caps, fee increases, and eligibility restrictions. While framed as anti-abuse, the operative effect is protectionist labor policy favoring domestic workers over foreign talent and employers.

What the text implies

• The $100,000 annual fee per H-1B petition may be passed to employers' customers, raising costs for consumers in tech, healthcare, and other sectors reliant on H-1B labor.
• Elimination of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for foreign students may reduce U.S. university enrollment and competitiveness in attracting international talent, with long-term effects on research and innovation funding.
• The $200,000 annual wage floor may price out mid-level and entry-level H-1B positions, concentrating visas among senior roles and potentially reducing overall hiring in affected sectors.
• Blocking H-1B holders from adjusting to permanent residency creates a permanent temporary-worker class with no path to citizenship, reducing their bargaining power and potentially depressing wages for all workers in those roles.
• Federal agencies' prohibition from hiring H-1B workers may force them to rely on more expensive contractors or reduce capacity in tech-dependent functions (cybersecurity, data analysis, IT infrastructure).

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill protects domestic workers from wage competition and displacement by restricting foreign labor supply and raising wage floors for those hired, a concrete public benefit. However, it also blocks foreign students from working during or after studies, eliminates a pathway to permanent residency for H-1B holders, and imposes broad restrictions that may increase costs for U.S. employers and consumers, potentially reducing hiring and innovation in affected sectors—offsetting gains for some wor

Who stands to gain

• domestic workers in tech, healthcare, and professional services (wage protection)
• labor unions and worker advocacy organizations (reduced competition)
• domestic staffing and recruitment firms (reduced competition from third-party H-1B agencies)

Named in the bill

H-1B visa program, Immigration and Nationality Act, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal agencies and departments, Tech sector employers, Healthcare employers, Foreign students, Staffing agencies

Where it stands

14 cosponsors: 14 Republicans.

• Apr 22, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Apr 22, 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.