U.S. Republicans introduce legislation to pause H-1B visas for three years; Rep Paul Gosar calls it a move against outsourcing.

Congressman Eli Crane from Arizona spearheaded the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, seeking a three-year suspension of the H-1B visa program. The measure is co-sponsored by seven other Republican lawmakers. They argue the program has become a tool for outsourcing, affecting American jobs.

The legislation aims to reduce the annual H-1B visa cap from 65,000 to 25,000, impose a minimum wage requirement of USD 200,000 annually, and prohibit visa holders from bringing family members into the U.S. Furthermore, it proposes to ban federal agencies from employing nonimmigrant workers and to dismantle the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

Rep. Gosar stated, “If a company can hire an American, they should. No loopholes. No excuses. We’re done subsidising the outsourcing of our own workforce.” He described the H-1B program as a mechanism that has been abused to displace American labor, asserting the necessity for the legislation. Crane echoed this sentiment, insisting that “the federal government should work for hardworking citizens, not the profit margins of massive corporations.”

Rosemary Jenks, cofounder of the Immigration Accountability Project, calls the bill the “strongest H-1B bill that has ever been introduced in Congress,” reflecting a significant shift in the legislative approach to immigration and labor policy.

A group of Republican lawmakers, led by Congressman Eli Crane, has introduced legislation to pause H-1B visas for three years, claiming the program displaces American workers. Rep. Paul Gosar emphasized the need to end corporate outsourcing, citing the bill as a protective measure for the American workforce.