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Governor Greg Abbott ordered Texas universities and authorities agencies connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) to halt caller H-1B visa petitions, which are utilized by employers to prosecute overseas workers with specialized skills, until adjacent year.
The intermission successful the reddish state, which is location to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes amid actions by the Mr. Trump medication aimed astatine reshaping the visa program. Critics reason that it has go a pipeline for overseas workers consenting to enactment for little wage and is taking occupation opportunities from Americans. But supporters accidental the programme is important to pull apical planetary talent, capable specialised roles and thrust innovation.
“State authorities indispensable pb by illustration and guarantee that employment opportunities — peculiarly those funded with payer dollars — are filled by Texans first,” Mr. Abbott wrote successful his letter.
But proponents of the programme reason that it is beneficial to the state, and that immoderate intermission could worsen existing staffing shortages and hinder universities’ quality to enlistee talent.
“Freezing those pathways makes it harder to unit classrooms, probe centers, and hospitals crossed our state, raising costs, straining nationalist services, and hurting Texans successful each country of our state,” Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., Democrat and president of Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said successful a written statement.
The intermission successful Texas, which lone applies to authorities agencies and nationalist universities, is scheduled to past until May 31, 2027. Mr. Abbott’s bid does let exceptions if support is granted from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Mr. Abbott said the frost volition springiness lawmakers clip to “establish statutory guardrails" for employment nether the visa program, let Congress to modify national instrumentality and let programme reforms by the Trump medication to beryllium implemented.
Currently, the nationalist assemblage successful the authorities with the astir H-1B visas is the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center successful Dallas with 228 visa holders, based connected information reported by the U.S. Citizen & Immigration Services successful September. The assemblage employees much than 23,000 people, according to their website. University unit did not instantly respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking remark connected the pause.
Other institutions with H-1B visa holders include: the Texas A&M University successful College Station with 214; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center successful Houston with 171; the University of Texas astatine Austin with 169; and Texas Tech University successful Lubbock with 143.
While determination is simply a wide scope of employers who tin use for HB-1 visas — including hospitals, bands and universities — astatine slightest 60% of the H-1B visas approved since 2012 person been for computer-related jobs, according to the Pew Research Center.
Last twelvemonth crossed the country, Amazon was by acold the apical recipient, with much than 10,000 visas approved, followed by Mumbai-based informational exertion institution Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple and Google. In Texas, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation — a multinational accusation exertion institution — has the astir H-1B visas successful the authorities with 3,172.
Abbott, who on with Republicans alleges that the visas are being abused, plans to reappraisal the program’s use. As such, helium ordered agencies and universities to supply accusation connected the fig of caller oregon renewed H-1B visa petitions past year, visa holders presently sponsored, occupation titles, countries of root and visa expiration dates. The Republican besides asked for documentation showing employers made an effort to springiness "qualified Texans candidates with tenable accidental to apply” for positions filled by H-1B holders.
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Across the aisle, Mr. Romero argues that H-1B visa holders are “Texans successful each mode that matters” — saying that they are professionals who “work hard, travel the rules and lend to our economy.”
Mr. Abbott is not the lone GOP politician taking action. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for less H-1B hires, alleging maltreatment of the programme to capable non-specialised roles. On Thursday (January 29, 2026), the Board of Governors, which oversees the Florida’s nationalist assemblage system, is scheduled to sermon pausing the usage of H-1B programme to prosecute caller unit until adjacent year.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation past twelvemonth imposing a $100,000 yearly H-1B visa fee connected highly skilled workers, which is being challenged successful court.
Created by the 1990 Immigration Act, H-1B visas let American companies to bring successful radical with method skills that are hard to find successful the U.S. The visas are bully for 3 years and tin beryllium extended different 3 years.
The fig of caller visas issued annually is capped astatine 65,000, positive an further 20,000 for radical with a master’s grade oregon higher. Some employers, specified arsenic universities and nonprofits, are exempt from the limits.
