Florida governor Ron DeSantis renewed his call for states to stop public universities from hiring H-1B workers, saying the jobs should go to young Americans. His appeal asks other states to copy Florida’s approach; it does not announce a new restriction in Florida.
DeSantis made the case in a post on X, responding to criticism of universities’ support for international student work programs and hiring foreign professionals. He wrote:
“Get rid of these programs that bring in foreign workers at the expense of young Americans. We stopped H-1Bs at our universities in Florida and other states should follow suit.”
The post he answered argued that universities lobby to bring international graduates into U.S. jobs through Optional Practical Training and employ foreign professionals through H-1B, including in entry-level roles. DeSantis echoed its claim that such hiring competes with young graduates. The post did not identify particular institutions.
Florida’s Board of Governors already has a temporary restriction in place. The measure applies to new hires at the state’s universities, not workers who already hold jobs there under H-1B.
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Feb 01, 2023 | Aug 01, 2023 ▲31d | Current |
| EB-2 | Nov 01, 2013 | Oct 01, 2021 | Apr 01, 2025 ▲90d |
| EB-3 | Jan 22, 2014 ▲21d | Jan 22, 2022 ▲14d | Jun 15, 2024 ▲31d |
| F-1 | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d |
| F-2A | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d |
Florida’s hiring bar leaves current university workers untouched
DeSantis first pushed the Board of Governors to address what he called abuse of the program in October 2025. The board adopted its temporary hiring restriction in March 2026, covering the state’s 12 public universities.
| Group | What the Florida restriction covers | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| New university hires | The institutions are barred from hiring through H-1B | Began in March 2026 |
| Existing employees | Current H-1B employees are outside the hiring restriction | Not covered by the bar |
| Universities in other states | DeSantis urged them to follow Florida’s example | No state action announced in his post |
The Florida Governor’s Office says the restriction is scheduled to remain in place until January 5, 2027. The board’s measure is limited to state university hiring in Florida; DeSantis’s appeal is directed at officials elsewhere and does not itself change their policies.
That distinction separates the governor’s political request from the action already taken by the board. Institutions in Florida must follow the temporary bar when making new hires covered by it, while existing employees are not included in that restriction. The research describes no parallel hiring order for other states.
Some university petitions fall outside the annual H-1B cap
Universities and certain research organizations can qualify for cap-exempt H-1B petitions. That means those petitions are not counted within the annual numerical limits that apply to many other employers.
The exemption depends on the petitioning employer or the work location. It does not mean every university position or every petition automatically qualifies. Florida’s temporary policy addresses new hiring through H-1B at state institutions, including hiring that could otherwise fall outside the annual cap.
That federal structure is part of the debate DeSantis is raising. His argument is about whether public institutions should use the visa program to recruit foreign professionals when, in his view, young U.S. graduates need more employment opportunities. The renewed call does not change federal eligibility rules or the cap-exemption framework.
The criticism also encompasses Optional Practical Training
The post DeSantis answered criticized universities for supporting Optional Practical Training, a work authorization route for eligible international students in F-1 status. OPT allows graduates to gain employment experience connected to their field of study.
The program can provide international graduates with professional experience after study and may precede a move to an employer-sponsored visa for longer-term work. DeSantis’s post grouped that pathway with university H-1B hiring in its criticism of how institutions support international graduates.
The two routes are distinct. OPT concerns work after study for eligible students, while H-1B allows employers to petition for foreign professionals in qualifying jobs. The governor’s post linked them as parts of university hiring practices, rather than announcing a change to federal OPT rules.
The appeal draws on claims about entry-level hiring
The criticism DeSantis responded to alleged that universities were pressing to retain OPT and hiring foreign professionals through H-1B for entry-level positions, even as employment prospects for young graduates worsened. Those points were assertions in the post, not findings about named campuses or individual job openings.
His comments come amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to tighten employment-based immigration rules and scrutinize employers that hire foreign workers. The research describes that federal context but identifies no federal action changing Florida’s university restriction.
The Florida measure remains temporary. The Board of Governors’ hiring bar is scheduled to expire on January 5, 2027.
