H-1B Proposals Target Phase-Out, Not Complete Ban, Says Reports

(UNITED STATES) Claims that Republicans are moving to “completely ban” the H-1B visa program are overstated, but the pressure on the program is real and rising, with new proposals in Congress to phase out H-1B over time and a Trump administration move that critics call a de facto ban because it sharply raises the cost of hiring many foreign professionals.

Recent legislative and executive actions

As of December 17, 2025, Republican lawmakers have introduced bills aimed at winding down the H-1B program rather than ending it overnight. These bills arrive against the backdrop of President Trump’s September 2025 presidential proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” which imposes new limits on entry for some nonimmigrant workers and adds a pay floor that would reshape hiring for many employers that rely on H-1B talent.

• The H-1B program allows U.S. 🇺🇸 employers to sponsor foreign workers for “specialty occupations”, typically jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field.
• The government’s public overview is available at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page on H-1B specialty occupations: the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page on H-1B specialty occupations.

Key congressional proposals and positions

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — Announced on or around November 15, 2025 that she is filing a bill to phase out the H-1B program entirely.
  • Her argument: H-1B replaces American workers, including recent college graduates.
  • The source material ties this concern to unemployment for recent graduates near 5% (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) — Proposed a broader “immigration freeze” that includes ending H-1B visas until what he describes as “systemic fixes” are made.
  • Even if a full freeze faces steep odds in Congress, the proposal signals a growing factional message: the status quo for H-1B is no longer acceptable and restrictions are intentional.
• Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) — Opposes ending H-1B, arguing it does not harm American workers and that businesses need specialized talent beyond the domestic workforce.
  • This split within Republicans matters: pro-business members—especially those representing tech hubs, research universities, and employers that claim labor shortages—could resist permanent elimination of H-1B.

The Trump proclamation and its effects

President Trump’s September 2025 proclamation cites alleged program abuse, including an example in which “one software firm” was approved for over 5,000 H-1B workers in FY 2025 while laying off more than 15,000 American employees (per the source material). The proclamation frames restrictions as responses to:

• Wage undercutting
• Visa fraud by outsourcing firms
• National security concerns

The most consequential element of the proclamation is a $100,000 minimum salary requirement for each H-1B worker sponsored by an employer.

• Critics call this threshold a de facto ban, because it can price out many roles, industries, and regions where salaries are below that level—even for skilled workers.
• The proclamation also requires federal agencies to recommend, within 30 days after the next H-1B lottery, whether to extend the restrictions—indicating the policy could tighten or loosen over time.

The proclamation is framed by the administration as worker protection and enforcement rather than an outright repeal of the program.

Business and policy community response

• The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) warns the pay-floor approach will “backfire” by encouraging tech firms to offshore jobs and by reducing U.S. 🇺🇸 competitiveness, including against firms in China.
• ITIF proposes an alternative: auction the annual 85,000 H-1B slots, so employers who truly need top talent pay more for limited visas—rather than using a fixed salary rule that may unfairly hit some high-skill roles based on geography and job type.

Practical impacts on workers, families, and employers

• For workers and families, the policy landscape can feel like whiplash:
  • A phase-out bill implies a long runway but a clear end point, affecting career planning, home purchases, and decisions about staying in the U.S. or accepting jobs abroad.
  • A pay-floor rule that functions as a de facto ban can be faster and harsher, stopping entry even for workers with offers if employers cannot meet the salary threshold.
• Employers face difficult trade-offs:
  • A strict salary floor favors larger firms with deep pockets while squeezing startups, hospitals, universities, and smaller contractors, even when the work is high-skill.
  • It shifts internal bargaining power: visa-dependent workers may feel pressured to accept terms quickly, while employers may accelerate offshoring instead of hiring in the U.S.

Summary of current reality

• No sources in the provided material confirm a complete, immediate ban on H-1B.
• The present direction is a combination of:
  1. Legislation from some Republicans proposing to phase out H-1B over time.
  2. Executive action (the proclamation) that raises costs and narrows access—potentially acting as a near-term barrier for many applicants.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the mix of Capitol Hill proposals and White House restrictions is already influencing employer planning for recruiting cycles tied to the H-1B lottery, even before any phase-out bill reaches a final vote.