The House Freedom Caucus has long argued that America’s immigration policy undercuts American workers.
Freedom Caucus members pointed to the H1B vias program, which allows companies to import foreign labor for specialized occupations that require specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree.
The tech sector is the most prominent industry that avails itself of H1B visas.
But conservatives contend that the companies that import foreign labor using H1B visas could hire American workers for these jobs but choose not to because it would require paying higher wages.
Arizona Congressman and House Freedom Caucus member Eli Crane introduced legislation to amend the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 to reform the H1B visa program.
“For too long, H-1B visa holders have been prioritized at the expense of American workers. My bill, the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, would pause the issuance of these visas and reform the program,” Crane wrote on social media announcing his bill.
Crane’s legislation would cut the H1B visa cap by nearly two-thirds, from 65,000 to 25,000, reduce three-year visa terms to one year.
The legislation would also require anyone applying for an H1B visa to list a foreign address they must return to once their visa expires as opposed to remaining in the United States.
The End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 would also place new limitations on employers looking to fill jobs.
Bill text would require employers utilizing H1B visa holders to certify that they couldn’t hire an American to fill a given job, that hiring a foreign worker through the H1B visa program didn’t harm American workers and pay H1B visa holders a minimum salary of $200,000 a year.
The legislation would also require the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to distribute H1B visas based on the highest wages offered by employers as opposed to a lottery.
Conservatives argue these changes would turn the H1B visa program into a true application of its stated intention, allowing employers to bring in highly skilled foreign labor to fill jobs that they can’t practically fill with American workers.
The bill attracted the support of conservatives in the Senate like Utah’s Mike Lee who would like to see Congress take action to modify the H1B visa program.
