Republican opposition to the H-1B visa program is growing louder, with several lawmakers calling for its suspension or complete overhaul amid concerns that it disadvantages American workers.
The H-1B visa allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals for specialty occupations that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree.
While businesses argue that the program helps address talent shortages, critics within the Republican Party say it has been misused and has contributed to job losses among domestic workers.
Texas Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne recently called for the program to be halted, saying it should either be stopped immediately or completely restructured.
Speaking to conservative commentator Benny Johnson, she said the visa program “cannot continue in the way it has,” citing what she described as widespread abuse.
Van Duyne also linked her opposition to a broader push to overhaul the US immigration system, including repealing the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which reshaped immigration policy by prioritising skills-based entry and family reunification.
Public sentiment appears to be divided.
A recent survey conducted by Blind, an anonymous professional networking platform, found that 56 per cent of American respondents believe H-1B visa holders are replacing US workers.
The findings have intensified debate over the role of foreign labour in the American economy.
Several Republican lawmakers have moved beyond rhetoric and introduced legislative proposals targeting the program.
Congressman Chip Roy has introduced the PAUSE Act, which seeks to modify the H-1B framework and eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at aggressively phasing out the H-1B visa, arguing that it contributes to what she calls the mass replacement of American workers.
Concerns have also been raised in the Senate.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dick Durbin have launched inquiries into major corporations following large-scale layoffs of American workers.
The senators have sought detailed information from leading employers about their hiring practices, including pay and benefit differences between US employees and H-1B workers.
Congressman Riley M. Moore echoed these concerns, claiming the H-1B program has been abused to undercut domestic labour.
He pointed to an amendment passed by the House Appropriations Committee directing the US Department of Labor to study how the H-1B and Schedule A programs impact American workers.
Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt also criticised the visa program, stating that while it was promoted as a tool to maintain US competitiveness, it has instead enabled the displacement of American workers and shifted entire industries toward foreign labour dependence.
As the debate intensifies, the future of the H-1B visa program remains uncertain, with growing pressure from Republican lawmakers to rethink or roll back one of the most prominent employment-based immigration pathways in the United States.