Trump's Party Moves Bill To Freeze H-1B Visas For 3 Years In US Congress: What It Means For Indians

Last Updated:April 25, 2026, 16:42 IST

Indian professionals stuck in employment-based green card backlogs could be among the worst affected.

A proposed law in the United States to suspend the H-1B visa programme for three years has raised fresh concerns, particularly among Indian professionals who depend heavily on it for jobs abroad.

The legislation has been introduced by a group of Republican lawmakers in the US Congress under the Donald Trump-led administration, which has already tightened its stance on immigration. Earlier this year, the administration also announced a $1,00,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications.

The Bill, introduced by Congressman Eli Crane, is titled the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026. It has been backed by several Republican leaders, including Brian Babin, Brandon Gill, Wesley Hunt, Keith Self, Andy Ogles, Paul Gosar and Tom McClintock.

For Indians, the implications are significant. The H-1B visa route is widely used by US companies, especially in technology and healthcare, to hire skilled foreign workers, and Indian professionals make up one of the largest groups of beneficiaries. A pause or major overhaul of the system could therefore directly affect thousands of Indian workers and aspirants.

The proposed Bill outlines sweeping changes. It seeks to reduce the annual visa cap from 65,000 to 25,000 and introduce a minimum salary threshold of USD 2,00,000 per year. It also proposes to bar H-1B visa holders from bringing their dependants to the US.

Among other key changes, the Bill suggests replacing the current lottery system with a wage-based selection process. Employers would be required to prove that no qualified American worker is available for the role and confirm that no recent layoffs have taken place. It also aims to restrict H-1B holders from taking up multiple jobs and limit the involvement of third-party staffing agencies.

The proposal goes further by calling for an end to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme and reinforcing the temporary nature of nonimmigrant visas.

It seeks to block H-1B holders from transitioning to permanent residency and require them to leave the US before switching to another visa category. Federal agencies would also be barred from hiring or sponsoring foreign workers under such visas.

Explaining the legal position, Houston-based immigration lawyer Rahul Reddy said the US Congress has the authority to pause a visa programme.

If such a decision is taken, the administration would be bound to enforce it. However, he cautioned that the real-world impact could be severe.

“H-1B holders will have to leave the country or move to another visa status," Reddy said, adding that some may need to shift to student visas or return to their home countries.

He noted that Indian professionals stuck in employment-based green card backlogs could be among the worst affected. Many have already spent years—sometimes decades—waiting for permanent residency. If the new rules block their path, it could undo long-standing legal progress and raise serious constitutional questions.

Supporters of the Bill argue that the current system disadvantages American workers. Crane said the government must prioritise its citizens over corporate interests.

“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," he said.

Other lawmakers echoed similar concerns. Brandon Gill said the reforms would ensure the system serves Americans first. Paul Gosar alleged that the programme has been “hijacked to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour – plain and simple".

Andy Ogles also claimed that foreign hiring is displacing local workers. “We will not bow down to the corporations, and we will not let Americans become strangers in their own country. End the H-1B scam," he said.

Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of Immigration Accountability Project, described the proposal as the strongest H-1B reform Bill introduced so far, saying the visa system was originally meant to fill temporary labour gaps, not replace the domestic workforce.

If passed, the legislation could reshape the future of skilled migration to the United States, with Indian professionals likely to feel its impact most sharply.

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