America: Bill introduced in US Congress to abolish H-1B visa; how it will impact Indians
A bill has been introduced in the US Congress to abolish the H-1B visa program. Republican Congressman Greg Steube of Florida introduced it on Monday, local time.
This bill, called the "Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act," or EXILE Act, proposes amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the H-1B visa program by 2027.
This bill comes at a time when the US has already increased scrutiny and strictness regarding H-1B and H-4 visas. If passed, it will have the greatest impact on Indians traveling to the US. No date has yet been announced for the bill's discussion in Parliament.
If the bill is passed, it will have a direct impact on Indian professionals.
Indian professionals most commonly use H-1B visas to work and live in the United States. According to official claims, over 70% of H-1B visa recipients are Indians, and a large number of them are young workers.
Because of this, the bill introduced in Parliament could directly impact Indian IT and tech professionals.
Congressman Greg Steube has alleged misuse of the H-1B visa, which he believes has harmed American citizens' jobs.
He said that the H-1B visa program is constantly displacing American workers and youth. According to him, this program benefits corporate companies and foreign competitors, while harming the domestic workforce.
Supporters of the bill stated that many American employees lost their jobs due to the H-1B visa. It was claimed that Microsoft laid off over 16,000 employees after approving over 9,000 H-1B visas in 2025.
However, the bill will have to go through a lengthy process to be passed.
This bill, which seeks to abolish H-1B visas, has currently been introduced in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Parliament. There has been no debate or voting deadline yet.
The bill will now be referred to the relevant House committee. The committee will decide whether to hold a formal hearing. If the bill is approved by the committee, it will be brought to the House of Representatives for discussion. Following the discussion, the House will vote on it.
After passing the House, the bill will go to the Senate, the upper house of the US Parliament, where a similar process of discussion and voting will be completed there.
Only after passing both houses of Parliament will the bill go to the President. Only after the President's signature will it become law.
According to US parliamentary procedure, it can take weeks to months for a bill to become law.