Republican lawmakers continue to target the H-1B visa programme even as US President Donald Trump has recently defended the need for skilled foreign workers.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on Thursday announced that she will introduce legislation to “completely eliminate” the non-immigrant visa category, which allows US companies to hire foreign professionals in specialised fields.
Greene said her proposed bill would end the H-1B programme entirely and remove any pathway to US citizenship for its holders, requiring them to leave the country when their visas expire. Currently, many H-1B professionals—most of them from India—secure permanent residency through employer-sponsored green cards and can apply for citizenship after five years. Indian nationals account for over 70% of approved H-1B applications in recent years, driven by a strong presence in STEM fields.
What the Bill Proposes
In a video message posted on X, Greene claimed the H-1B programme has been “riddled with fraud and abuse” and has displaced American workers. Her bill includes one narrow exception: a cap of 10,000 visas annually for medical professionals such as doctors and nurses. She said this exemption would be phased out over ten years to give the US time to develop its own workforce.
To expand domestic medical training, the bill would prohibit Medicare-funded residency programmes from admitting non-citizen medical students. Greene argued that thousands of American medical graduates fail to obtain residency placements each year while foreign-born doctors continue to secure slots, calling the situation “unfair” and “America last.”
Greene said her legislation aims to restore the “temporary” nature of the H-1B visa, adding that foreign professionals should contribute their expertise and then return home. “These visas were intended to fill a specific need at a given time,” she said.
Background: H-1B and Recent Policy Moves
The H-1B system currently issues 65,000 regular visas annually, with an additional 20,000 reserved for applicants with advanced US degrees. Technology companies are among the largest users of the programme.
The Trump administration has previously tightened scrutiny on H-1B applications. In September, Trump issued a proclamation requiring certain petitions filed after September 21, 2025, to include an additional $100,000 fee as part of eligibility—an unprecedented cost increase meant to discourage abuse.
Trump’s Shift in Tone
Despite long-running Republican criticism of the programme, Trump recently signalled a softer stance. In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, he acknowledged that the US must “bring in talent” in specialised, sensitive sectors—roles that cannot simply be filled by long-term unemployed Americans without extensive training.
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