A new Republican push to abolish the H-1B visa reignites concerns for thousands of skilled foreign professionals, especially Indians.
Washington
Republican lawmakers have renewed their offensive against the United States’ H-1B visa programme, despite former President Donald Trump recently defending the non-immigrant work visa that allows American employers to hire skilled foreign workers. The latest move comes from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who announced her intention to introduce a bill seeking to completely eliminate the programme and revoke the pathways to permanent residency it provides.
The H-1B visa, widely used in STEM fields, offers a route to U.S. citizenship through employer-sponsored green cards. After receiving permanent residency, workers can apply for citizenship within five years. This system has particularly benefited Indian professionals, who account for more than 70 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, driven by strong demand for specialized talent in American industries.
In a video posted on X, Greene claimed the programme has been riddled with fraud and abuse and accused it of displacing American workers. She argued that eliminating the visa would force foreign workers to return home upon expiration of their current status.
Greene’s proposal includes a narrow exemption for medical professionals, allowing up to 10,000 visas annually for doctors and nurses providing essential services. However, she added that even this small provision would be phased out over a decade, giving the U.S. time to build our own pipeline of medical professionals. The bill would further bar Medicare-funded residency programmes from admitting non-citizen medical students.
She pointed to last year’s mismatch in medical placements, noting that over 9,000 U.S. medical graduates failed to secure residency positions, while more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors obtained placements in 2023.
If Greene’s bill advances, immigration analysts warn it could severely disrupt American industries reliant on skilled talent and deliver a major blow to Indian professionals who form the backbone of the H-1B workforce.
