Immigration has remained a central issue in the United States since President Donald Trump began his second term, with lawmakers increasingly focusing on employment-based visa programs. Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy has introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026 on Thursday. It is a proposal aimed at overhauling the system used to bring highly skilled foreign workers into the country.
While the legislation has not yet become law, it signals a significant effort to reshape the H-1B visa program. Roy’s proposal would replace the current lottery-based selection process with a wage-driven system that prioritizes higher-paid positions.
The bill would also bar companies that have recently laid off employees from hiring H-1B workers and eliminate the use of the “specialty occupation” category as a route to permanent residency.
The proposed legislation goes even further by seeking to end the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which currently allows international students in the United States to gain temporary work experience after graduation.
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A 14-page summary accompanying the proposal says the legislation was introduced to “reform the H-1B process, and for other purposes.” If approved by Congress, the measure would be formally known as the “American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026.”
According to a press release issued by Rep. Chip Roy’s office, the bill is designed to require employers to “demonstrate good-faith efforts to hire American workers first” before turning to foreign talent through the H-1B program. The proposal reflects a broader push by some lawmakers and advocacy groups to tighten employment-based immigration rules and place greater emphasis on domestic hiring.
The legislation has already drawn backing from several organizations that advocate for stricter immigration policies, including the Immigration Accountability Project, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Citizens for Renewing America, all of which have publicly voiced support for the proposed reforms.
READ: New US bill proposes 3-year H-1B visa freeze (April 26, 2026)
While the H-1B visa is often viewed through the lens of Indian professionals because of their dominant share of approvals, criticism of the program extends beyond any single nationality.
The U.S. Department of Labor has repeatedly voiced concerns about what it describes as widespread misuse of the H-1B system, arguing that some employers have leveraged the program to replace American workers with lower-cost foreign labor. Those concerns have increasingly fueled calls in Washington for stricter oversight and broader reforms of the employment-based visa framework.
The proposed legislation comes amid broader shifts in the U.S. immigration landscape. In May, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reported a sharp 38.5 percent decline in properly submitted registrations for the FY 2027 H-1B cap, with applications dropping from 343,981 the previous year to 211,600.
At the same time, the agency signaled a tougher stance on employment-based immigration, emphasizing a focus on attracting highly skilled talent while limiting pathways for lower-skilled and lower-wage foreign workers.