New WISA Act Targets Trump-Era H-1B Limits, Easing Visa Rules for Skilled Workers

(UNITED STATES) — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman introduced legislation on March 6, 2026 aimed at rolling back H-1B restrictions imposed by a September 2025 presidential proclamation and restoring what backers describe as pre-2025 hiring flexibility for U.S. employers.

The measure, called the Welcoming International Success Act, or WISA Act, targets changes that affected companies and institutions hiring skilled foreign workers in tech, healthcare, universities, and research.

Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, framed the bill as a response to the late-term Trump-era policy approach to employment visas. She said the restrictions “undermined the country’s ability to attract global talent,” a message her supporters link to innovation and U.S. competitiveness.

Under the proposal, lawmakers would use federal spending limits to block implementation of the 2025 proclamation changes. That approach would aim to unwind policy without rewriting the underlying H-1B statute, by prohibiting federal funds from being used to carry out the disputed restrictions.

The bill also calls for a targeted repeal of a supplemental H-1B fee created under the 2025 proclamation. The fee totaled $100,000 and applied to most new H-1B sponsorships, adding a large up-front cost for employers seeking to bring in workers from overseas.

Supporters argue the $100,000 charge increased the financial risk of hiring foreign talent and reshaped recruiting decisions, particularly for employers that sponsor new H-1B workers rather than extending existing employment arrangements.

Change-of-status cases already fell outside that supplemental fee in the 2025 framework, including workers shifting from F-1 Optional Practical Training to H-1B status. The WISA Act’s authors say the fee repeal would remove what they see as a major barrier for most new sponsorships while keeping the system closer to the pre-2025 model.

Beyond fees, the WISA Act seeks to roll back wage-related rules tied to the 2025 proclamation. It would restore the pre-2025 prevailing wage framework by reversing elevated wage floors that raised minimum pay requirements for certain roles.

One example in the draft highlights computer programmers. It describes prevailing wage levels “dropping from highs to $80,000–$150,000 based on skills and location” if the pre-2025 framework returns.

The proposal also targets changes to the H-1B selection process. It would end the wage-weighted lottery and return to random selection for the H-1B cap registration process, reversing a system that favored higher-wage offers.

That lottery change matters because of the calendar for cap-season filings. The wage-weighted system took effect February 27, 2026, and it applied to FY2027 registrations running March 4–19.

Employers that hire entry-level staff, or that place workers into roles where wage offers sit below the highest tiers, have argued that a wage-weighted approach can narrow pathways into the program. Backers of the WISA Act say random selection better matches the prior system and reduces distortions in hiring.

Companies and institutions that rely heavily on foreign talent stand to feel the biggest impact if the proposed reversals ever take effect. The draft points to tech firms such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, along with hospitals and universities that recruit internationally.

Supporters describe the 2025 proclamation as part of Trump’s H-1B approach in his administration’s final period, and they argue it narrowed access to workers needed for specialized roles. Critics of those restrictions cited “1 million+ projected STEM job gaps through 2030,” a figure used to argue that limiting high-skill visas could worsen shortages.

The WISA Act’s backers also emphasize cost and compliance. They argue the combination of a $100,000 supplemental fee and stricter wage rules raised the per-hire cost of bringing in overseas workers and increased administrative friction for employers.

Those supporter arguments include broad economic claims about skilled foreign workers and public finances. The draft says diverse teams contribute “$200 billion+ annually in taxes/spending,” and supporters say stabilizing hiring practices helps protect that contribution.

For employers, the most direct change in the bill would come from removing the $100,000 charge tied to most new H-1B sponsorships. Backers describe that as a way to reduce the up-front cost of filling hard-to-staff jobs, especially when a hire lives abroad and requires consular processing.

A second employer-facing effect would come from the wage reset to pre-2025 levels. Restoring older prevailing wage rules could change which roles qualify and how companies set compensation bands when building H-1B offers.

The shift away from a wage-weighted lottery also has practical implications for hiring plans. Employers that extended offers expecting a wage-weighted edge could face different odds in a random-selection system, while employers with lower-wage entry routes could see improved chances compared with a wage-weighted regime.

For workers, the proposed changes focus on two pressure points: wage compliance and selection mechanics. Elevated wage floors can determine whether a job offer remains viable, and changes in lottery rules can determine whether a worker receives a chance to start H-1B employment at all.

The draft links those mechanics to job offers being honored and to workforce planning for industries where staffing gaps can disrupt operations, including healthcare and research. Universities and laboratories, supporters argue, rely on predictable access to international hiring to maintain projects and staffing pipelines.

Supporters also connect the bill to the long employment-based green card process, even though the WISA Act does not rewrite those rules. They argue the supplemental fee and higher wage burdens can affect how employers manage sponsorship when workers move into the green card pipeline.

The draft describes “Green card support” as an indirect effect, arguing that rolling back the fee could prevent some fee-induced layoffs during I-140 and I-485 waits. It also says lower wage burdens could ease PERM labor certification strategies under restored wages, a factor that can influence how employers structure job requirements and compensation.

Still, the bill leaves major structural issues untouched. The draft says it “does not address per-country EB-2/EB-3 caps,” which it links to “10+ year Indian backlogs,” meaning long waits would remain for some nationalities even if H-1B rules shift back.

Watson Coleman’s bill also separates itself from other immigration enforcement and screening policies discussed in the same time period. The draft says the WISA Act does not affect separate 2026 reforms such as beneficiary-centric lotteries that use passport numbers to curb multiple registrations, FDNS site visits, or social media screening dated December 15, 2025.

As of March 2026, the WISA Act remains an early-stage proposal. It would need passage in the House of Representatives and the Senate and then presidential approval before it could take effect.

That legislative path runs alongside a legal fight over the 2025 proclamation changes. The draft references ongoing litigation tied to those restrictions, which could affect timing or implementation pathways, though the bill’s sponsors focus their effort on reversing the changes through Congress.

The core design of the WISA Act is to block federal funding for implementing the 2025 proclamation changes. Supporters describe that as a direct way to restore the earlier framework for fees, wages, and selection without waiting for court outcomes.

If enacted, the proposal would target three central elements from the 2025 changes: the $100,000 supplemental fee that took effect September 21, 2025; the elevated wage floors tied to September 2025; and the wage-weighted lottery applied to FY2027 registrations in March 2026.

Employers that sponsor new H-1B workers, especially in fields listed by supporters such as tech, healthcare, universities, and research, would likely see the most immediate operational differences under the bill’s framework. Workers seeking H-1B status through the cap would also face a different selection system if the lottery returns to random choice.

Supporters argue the bill responds directly to employer demand for predictability and to worker concerns about whether changing rules will derail career plans. They also argue it would reduce costs and compliance burdens that rose under the 2025 proclamation.

Critics of the 2025 restrictions, as described in the draft, say the changes disrupted hiring and research and made it harder to recruit the people needed for specialized jobs. The bill’s supporters also point to business groups and academics who have highlighted those disruptions.

For now, the timetable is largely procedural and tied to milestones already on the calendar. Watson Coleman introduced the WISA Act on March 6, 2026, setting the starting point for committee consideration and any future House action.

The 2025 proclamation remains the reference point for what the bill seeks to undo, including the September 21, 2025 start date for the $100,000 supplemental fee. The FY2027 registration timeline, March 4–19, remains the key marker for the lottery change that took effect February 27, 2026.

What comes next depends on congressional movement and any subsequent agency guidance if the measure becomes law. Until then, the WISA Act stands as a bid to reverse Trump’s H-1B restrictions through legislation while leaving broader green card backlogs and separate 2026-era enforcement and screening initiatives outside its scope.