US Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Reform H-1B System: Here's How It Will Affect Indian Workers

Last Updated:June 07, 2026, 12:20 IST

Texas-based Republican Congressman Chip Roy introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026 in the US Congress to reform the H-1B visa system.

A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill in the United States Congress to make major changes to the H-1B visa programme, including removing its use as a pathway for permanent residency. The move is expected to have serious consequences for Indians, who hold 70% of all H-1B visas.

Texas-based Republican Congressman Chip Roy introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026 in the US Congress, which seeks to replace the current lottery system in the visa process with a wage-based selection process that directs employers to prioritise American workers and prohibits companies that have laid off employees from hiring H-1B workers.

Ban On Permanent Residency, OPT

The proposed legislation also seeks to scrap the optional practical training (OPT) programme, which allows foreign students to work in the US for a limited period after graduation. It also seeks the removal of a clause that permits H-1B workers to eventually apply for a green card (permanent residency).

The legislation would require H-1B applicants to demonstrate that they maintain a residence abroad and do not intend to abandon it, reversing the longstanding policy of so-called “dual intent," under which visa holders can pursue permanent residency while working in the United States. It would also repeal provisions that currently allow H-1B holders to extend their status while awaiting green card processing.

The bill would shorten the maximum duration of an H-1B visa from six years to two years, while prioritising applications offering higher salaries rather than allocating visas through the existing lottery system.

“For its nearly forty-year history, the H-1B visa has been abused, allowing employers to routinely sideline American STEM workers in favour of cheap foreign labour, while masking layoffs and wage suppression as ‘shortages’. 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," Roy said.

The bill is backed by US Tech Workers, the Immigration Accountability Project, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, according to news agency PTI.

How Will It Affect Indians?

The legislation comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on migration programmes through tightening restrictions, prioritisation of higher wages for H-1B applicants, and imposition of a $1,00,000 fee on new petitions.

If enacted in its current form, the bill could make it significantly harder for many Indian professionals to enter, stay, and settle in the United States. Indians occupy 70% of H-1B visa applications every year, making them the group most exposed to any major reform.

The bill proposes replacing the H-1B lottery with a wage-based selection system, meaning that the highest salaries would be prioritised over entry-level or mid-career IT workers. This is likely to reduce opportunities for younger software engineers and fresh graduates.

However, the bill faces a long legislative process before becoming law. Similar proposals have often stalled in Congress, meaning the changes are far from certain.

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

News world US Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Reform H-1B System: Here's How It Will Affect Indian Workers

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