End H–1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026
April 22, 2026
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Where This Stands
Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →The Frame
If passed, this bill would fundamentally restructure the program by significantly increasing costs for employers, limiting the number of available visas, and restricting the eligibility of foreign workers and their families to live and work in the United States.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
H-1B Visa Applicants
The bill restricts their ability to obtain visas, limits their stay, and prevents their families from joining them.
Employers of H-1B Workers
Employers face a $100,000 fee per worker, a $200,000 minimum salary requirement, and new recruitment restrictions.
Third-party Staffing Agencies
These agencies are prohibited from filing petitions or recruiting H-1B workers.
Foreign Students (F, M, J visas)
The bill eliminates their ability to receive employment authorization in the U.S.
Current stage: in_committee.
Floor Vote.
Summary
Key Facts
- Imposes a 3-year total pause on the issuance of new H-1B visas starting from the date of enactment.
- Limits the annual number of H-1B visas to a maximum of 25,000.
- Requires employers to pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B petition filed or for any change of employer.
- Sets a minimum annual salary requirement of $200,000 for H-1B visa holders.
- Reduces the maximum duration of an H-1B visa from 6 years to 3 years.
- Eliminates the H-1B lottery system, replacing it with a priority system based on the highest salary offered.
- Prohibits third-party staffing agencies from sponsoring or recruiting H-1B workers.
- Bars spouses and minor children of H-1B visa holders from accompanying them to the U.S.
- Prohibits federal government agencies from employing nonimmigrant visa holders directly or through contractors.
- Eliminates employment authorization for foreign students (F, M, and J visa holders).
- Requires employers to attest they have not laid off any workers in the previous 12 months and will not do so in the following 12 months.
- Prohibits concurrent employment, meaning an H-1B worker cannot work for more than one employer at a time.
Why It Matters
If passed, this bill would fundamentally restructure the program by significantly increasing costs for employers, limiting the number of available visas, and restricting the eligibility of foreign workers and their families to live and work in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Would this bill stop all H-1B visas immediately?
How would the new visa selection process work?
Can H-1B workers still bring their families?
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Lottery to Salary-Based Selection
The bill proposes replacing the current random lottery system for H-1B visas with a system that prioritizes the highest-paid workers.
Connected Entities
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance95How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment40Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz85Current news / social attention level
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