A renewed legislative effort to abolish the H-1B visa programme has emerged in the US Congress, with Republican lawmaker Greg Steube introducing a bill that seeks to completely shut down the employment-based visa route.
Steube has tabled the Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions (EXILE) Act, which proposes a major amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act. If enacted, the bill would phase out the H-1B visa programme entirely, reducing the number of visas issued to zero starting from 2027.
According to a press release from Steube’s office, the legislation aims to eliminate Section 214(g)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, effectively ending the programme. The proposal argues that prioritising foreign labour over American workers undermines national interests and economic stability.
Announcing the move on X, Steube said American workers have suffered for years due to what he described as widespread misuse of the H-1B system. He alleged that corporations have exploited the programme to import cheaper labour, suppress wages, and sideline qualified US citizens from well-paying jobs.
To support his case, Steube cited multiple instances where he claims American workers were adversely affected. He stated that over 10,000 US-trained physicians were unable to secure residency placements while more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors entered through the H-1B route. He also claimed that Microsoft approved over 9,000 H-1B visas in 2025 while allegedly displacing more than 16,000 employees.
Additional examples highlighted include Disney laying off 250 workers in 2015 and replacing them with H-1B visa holders, and Southern California Edison reportedly firing 540 employees in 2014 and filling those roles with foreign workers from Indian outsourcing firms.
The H-1B visa programme allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals, particularly in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and education, to fill talent gaps. However, it has long been a subject of political debate, with critics arguing it disadvantages domestic workers.
Steube’s proposal follows a similar attempt by former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who previously introduced the End H-1B Now Act. While her bill also sought to terminate the programme, it included a limited exemption allowing 10,000 medical professionals over a ten-year period.
With the EXILE Act now introduced, the future of the H-1B visa programme has once again become a focal point in US immigration and labour policy discussions.
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