Arizona Republican Congressman Eli Crane introduced the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 in the US Congress on that date — a bill that would completely pause the issuance of new H-1B visas for three years, and then, when the programme resumes, fundamentally change how it works.
It is the most sweeping H-1B bill ever introduced in Congress, according to Rosemary Jenks of the Immigration Accountability Project, who co-drafted the legislation.
What the Bill Actually Proposes
The pause itself is three years — no new H-1B visas, starting from whenever the law would take effect.
But the structural reforms proposed after that pause are arguably the bigger story:
- The annual H-1B cap would drop from 65,000 to 25,000 — a 62% reduction
- The lottery system for allocating visas would be replaced by a wage-based selection model — highest-salary applicants get priority
- A minimum salary floor of $200,000 per year would be mandatory for all H-1B workers
- Employers would have to certify no qualified American was available and that they had not conducted recent layoffs
- H-1B workers would be barred from bringing dependents to the US (H-4 visa holders — largely Indian spouses — would be affected)
- No third-party staffing agencies could employ H-1B workers
- H-1B holders could not adjust to permanent resident status — no path to green card through employer sponsorship
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) — which allows international students to work in the US after graduation — would be ended
The bill was co-sponsored by seven Republican representatives: Brian Babin, Brandon Gill, Wesley Hunt, Keith Self, Andy Ogles, Paul Gosar, and Tom McClintock.
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Is This a Real Threat or Political Theatre?
That is the critical question for every Indian IT professional tracking this development.
As of April 25, 2026, the bill has been introduced but has not progressed beyond that stage. Crane's bill, along with several other recent H-1B restriction bills — including Marjorie Taylor Greene's End H-1B Now Act, Rep. Chip Roy's PAUSE Act (November 2025), and Rep. Steube's EXILE Act — none of these have advanced out of committee.
In fact, no major H-1B restriction bill has passed through Congress in the past year, despite this wave of legislative proposals.
The political dynamics are complicated. Major US tech companies — Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Meta — rely heavily on H-1B workers and have significant lobbying power in Washington. Republicans are also divided on the issue. Elon Musk, who has considerable influence within Trump-aligned Republican circles, has in the past defended H-1B as critical for tech innovation.
The Broader Legislative Context
The Trump administration has separately moved to tighten H-1B oversight even without new legislation. The State Department now reviews visa applicants' social media. A $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025, is already in effect. Stricter filing rules and additional oversight mechanisms have been introduced administratively.
So while Crane's bill may not pass, the environment around H-1B is unmistakably tighter than it was two years ago.
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Impact on India
India accounts for roughly 70–75% of all H-1B visa approvals annually. Companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, and Tech Mahindra collectively hold tens of thousands of H-1B visas. Indian students in the US on F-1 visas who use OPT as a stepping stone to H-1B would also face a blocked pathway if this legislation passes.
A ₹200,000 salary minimum, if enacted, would effectively close the H-1B route for entry-level and mid-career IT workers — pricing out most current usage of the programme. The $200,000 floor is more than double the median H-1B salary, which ranges between $85,000 and $120,000 for most software roles.
The Indian government and industry bodies like NASSCOM have not yet issued a formal statement on this specific bill.
The Bottom Line
This bill, in its current form, is unlikely to become law in 2026. Congress has shown no appetite to advance sweeping H-1B restriction legislation, and the tech industry opposition would be substantial.
But every Indian professional on H-1B, in the H-1B queue, or considering applying through OPT should be watching closely. The cumulative administrative tightening — even without new legislation — is already making the process harder, slower, and more expensive.
The headline says "3-year pause." The fine print says "permanent redesign." That deserves careful attention.