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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Several Republican-led states have moved to impose restrictions on the hiring of H-1B visa workers at public universities and state agencies.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a freeze on new H-1B petitions through May 31, 2027, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed the state's Board of Governors to end H-1B hiring at public universities.
Newsweek has created a map to show which states are implementing freezes or restrictions on H-1B hiring.
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Why It Matters
The freeze affects new H-1B petitions at state agencies and public universities in Texas, one of the nation's largest users of the visa. Officials said the policy was intended to prioritize employment for U.S. workers. Universities and academic medical centers rely on H-1B workers to hire professors, researchers, physicians and technical staff, and higher education leaders have warned that limiting access could weaken the state's research and innovation pipeline.
The move aligns state policy with federal efforts under the Trump administration to tighten the skilled-worker visa program, including the $100,000 fee introduced for certain petitions in September. H-1B visas, long a target for critics of work-based immigration, are used across the higher education, health care and technology sectors.
What To Know
Abbott has ordered a freeze on new H-1B visa petitions at all state agencies and public universities. The freeze is set to last until May 31, 2027, unless exceptions are approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. State officials have described the measure as a way to manage workforce priorities.
Any agency requesting an exception must obtain written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission through the end of the next legislative session on May 31, 2027, according to the directive issued on Tuesday.
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Abbott directed state agencies and public universities to report on their current and recent use of H-1B visas and to detail efforts to recruit qualified Texas workers for the affected positions, increasing state oversight of foreign-worker hiring at taxpayer-funded institutions.
The governor described the pause as a chance for lawmakers to consider "guardrails" and for federal H-1B policy changes to take effect, citing reports of program abuse. Abbott ordered state agencies and public universities to submit detailed reports to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 2026 on H-1B usage, including petitions filed in 2025, current sponsorships, job titles, countries of origin, visa expirations and evidence that qualified Texans had the opportunity to apply. The freeze applies only to new H-1B petitions and does not affect current visa holders, and public K-12 schools are not included.
On October 29, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed the state's Board of Governors to end the use of H-1B visas at public universities, accusing schools of hiring foreign workers instead of qualified Americans. DeSantis said the state would not "tolerate H-1B abuse" and argued that universities should be producing enough skilled graduates to fill these positions.
What People Are Saying
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to agency heads: "In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program, and amid the federal government's ongoing review of that program to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter. State government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities—particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars—are filled by Texans first."
Connor O'Brien, a fellow at the Institute for Progress, a think tank in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: "Texas boasts some of the top hospitals and medical research institutes in the country, many of which are under the state's university system and therefore subject to the governor's new H-1B ban. Among them is the MD Anderson Cancer Center, arguably the best cancer hospital in the world. The H-1B ban will make it harder for hospitals and research institutes across Texas to recruit the best doctors, specialists, and researchers. Ultimately, patients in Texas and across the country will pay the price."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in an October news release: "Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job. We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions. That's why I have directed the Florida Board of Governors to end this practice."
Update 1/29/26, 3:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a comment from Connor O'Brien.
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