Trump allies push bills to pause and scrap H-1B visas: What does it mean for Indians?

A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced a bill for a three-year pause to the H1-B visa programme, arguing that companies have long misused it to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.

Congressman Eli Crane from Arizona introduced the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, which was co-sponsored by seven other Republican lawmakers. The bill proposes reforms to the H-1B programme that include reducing the annual cap from 65,000 to 25,000 with a minimum wage of USD 2,00,000 per year and disallowing H-1B visa holders from bringing dependents to the US. It also seeks changes to the H-1B programme that include replacing the lottery system with a wage-based selection system; requiring employers to certify they cannot find a qualified

"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.

"Prioritising foreign labour over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests," Steube said in a statement.

"Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again," he said.

Last year, Trump administration has tightened rules around both legal and illegal immigration, including stricter restrictions on H-1B visas. Calling misuse of the H-1B programme a national security threat, Trump last year signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, triggering panic and concern among Indian workers.

Owing to this, several H1B visa interviews scheduled across India have been postponed and pushed months ahead, leaving many visa holders who had travelled to India for their visa stamping stranded.

If the bill get passed to become a law it might stop or delay entry of Indian by H1B visas. But the higher level executives with L1 visas can continue entering the country for work.