Republican Lawmakers Push Sweeping H-1B Overhaul, End Green Card Route

A Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation in the US Congress that would significantly tighten rules for foreign workers by ending the H-1B visa's role as a pathway to permanent residency, abolishing the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, and imposing new restrictions on employers hiring overseas talent.

The American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026 , introduced by Texas Republican Chip Roy , seeks to overhaul the nearly 40-year-old H-1B programme, which allows US employers to hire highly skilled foreign professionals, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Roy argued that the programme has been abused by employers who favour lower-cost foreign labour over qualified American workers. “It’s time to end this lottery-based pipeline and replace it with a system that prioritises merit, enforces real wage standards, and puts American white-collar workers first,” he said.

Among its key provisions, the bill would eliminate the “dual intent” policy , requiring H-1B holders to maintain a residence abroad and demonstrate no intention of permanently settling in the United States. It would also end extensions for visa holders awaiting green card processing, effectively closing a major route to permanent residency.

The legislation would reduce the maximum H-1B validity period from six years to two years , replace the lottery system with a wage-based selection process , require employers to make good-faith efforts to recruit Americans first, and bar firms that have recently conducted layoffs from hiring new H-1B workers. It would also abolish the OPT programme that allows international students to work in the US after graduation.

Backed by US Tech Workers , the Immigration Accountability Project , and the Federation for American Immigration Reform , the bill comes amid the Trump administration’s broader push to tighten legal immigration pathways. Historically, major H-1B reforms in the US have struggled to pass Congress due to deep divisions between industry groups that rely on skilled foreign workers and lawmakers who argue the programme can depress wages and reduce opportunities for American workers.

While administrations, including Trump’s first term, have introduced stricter rules through executive actions, these have often been limited, legally challenged, or reversed. In Congress, sweeping changes such as ending the lottery system or restricting green card pathways have repeatedly stalled because of a lack of bipartisan agreement, leaving the core structure of the H-1B programme largely unchanged over time.