US lawmaker moves to abolish H-1B visa program by 2027

In the United States, a Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation seeking to abolish the H-1B visa programme, arguing that it has been misused by corporations to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. US Representative Greg Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District has proposed the Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions (EXILE) Act, which aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by terminating the H-1B visa system altogether. Steube said the programme undermines American workers and prioritises corporate interests over national well-being.
Steube said, “Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again.”  He gave some examples of how the H-1B visa program has disadvantaged American workers:
-The H-1B visa program has prevented more than 10,000 U.S. physicians from accessing residency programs by facilitating the arrival of more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors.
-More than 16,000 Microsoft employees were displaced following the approval of more than 9,000 H-1B visas in 2025.
FedEx’s utilization of the H-1B resulted in the shuttering of more than 100 facilities across the United States. 
-Disney laid off 250 employees in 2015, only to replace them with foreign workers brought in via the H-1B visa.
-In 2014, Southern California Edison fired 540 workers. Their replacements were brought in from two Indian outsourcing firms that utilized the H-1B visa program.
The EXILE Act bill, if passed, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the H-1B visa program.The number of H-1B visas would be reduced to zero at the beginning of the 2027 financial year and in every subsequent year. This would effectively bring the programme to a complete end rather than phasing it out over time.
According to Greg Steube’s office, the EXILE Act would amend Section 214(g)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to end the H-1B visa programme entirely. If the bill is enacted, firms would no longer be able to submit petitions for H-1B visas once the cap is eliminated. Steube said that the EXILE Act is a must, as more than 80 per cent of H-1B recipients are Indian or Chinese nationals, with employers often preferring younger workers.