Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy is introducing legislation aimed at overhauling the H-1B visa program, arguing that the system has long disadvantaged American workers by allowing companies to rely on lower-cost foreign labor.
The proposal, titled the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act, would make several significant changes to the H-1B visa process, including eliminating the current lottery system, requiring employers to demonstrate efforts to hire American workers first, and establishing wage requirements intended to prevent companies from undercutting domestic employees.
According to bill text obtained by the Daily Caller, Roy’s legislation would replace the lottery-based selection process with a merit-based system. Applicants would be evaluated on qualifications rather than random selection, a change supporters argue would prioritize highly skilled workers while reducing opportunities for abuse.
The bill would also require employers hiring H-1B workers to pay wages comparable to those earned by American employees with similar experience and qualifications. Supporters of the measure say the change would remove financial incentives for companies to hire foreign workers over domestic candidates.
In addition, employers would be required to complete a labor market test before hiring H-1B visa holders. The review, conducted by the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, would determine whether employers made a good-faith effort to recruit qualified American workers before turning to foreign applicants.
“For its nearly forty-year history, the H1-B visa has been abused, allowing employers to routinely sideline American STEM workers in favor of cheap foreign labor, while masking layoffs and wage suppression as ‘shortages,’” Roy told the Daily Caller.
“It’s time to end this lottery-based pipeline and replace it with a system that prioritizes merit, enforces real wage standards, and puts America’s white-collar workers first,” he added.
Another major provision in the legislation would eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which currently allows many international students to work in the United States after graduation. Students who earn qualifying STEM degrees can presently obtain an additional two-year extension beyond the initial authorization period.
Critics of OPT argue that the program contributes to job competition in technology and engineering fields by increasing the number of foreign workers available to employers. Supporters, however, have maintained that the program helps attract talented graduates to the United States and strengthens the nation’s competitiveness.
Roy’s proposal comes amid continued debate over the state of the American technology workforce. According to industry reports, technology companies have announced more than 123,000 layoffs in 2026. At the same time, the number of students pursuing STEM-related degrees has continued to grow, with nearly 40% of college freshmen majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields.
Supporters of the legislation point to those figures as evidence that qualified American workers are available to fill many high-skilled positions. They also note that a large percentage of STEM graduates ultimately work outside their field of study.
Meanwhile, the number of foreign-born STEM workers in the United States has grown substantially over the past two decades. Data cited by the American Immigration Council shows that foreign STEM employment increased from approximately 1.2 million workers in 2000 to nearly 2.5 million workers by 2019.
The legislation is likely to reignite a long-running debate in Washington over balancing the needs of employers seeking specialized talent with concerns about protecting job opportunities and wages for American workers.
