EXILE Act
Rep. Steube's EXILE Act Would Eliminate H-1B Visa Program, Zeroing Out Tech Worker Slots
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill, introduced by Representative Steube, would effectively end the H-1B visa program. This program currently allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized fields like technology, engineering, and medicine.
- The plan works by changing the law to set the number of available H-1B visas to zero. If passed, no new H-1B visas would be issued starting in the 2027 budget year, which begins in October 2026.
- The bill aims to stop what the sponsor calls 'exploitative' labor practices. The goal is to encourage companies to hire American workers for high-paying specialized jobs instead of bringing in workers from other countries.
- This change would mostly affect large technology companies and healthcare providers that rely on these visas to fill specialized roles. It could also impact international students who hope to stay and work in the U.S. after graduating from American colleges.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
This bill would completely eliminate the H-1B visa program starting in fiscal year 2027, meaning no new H-1B visas would be issued. The roughly 85,000 new H-1B visas granted each year would drop to zero. Current H-1B holders would eventually lose their status as their visas expire, forcing them to either find another visa category, leave the country, or face becoming undocumented. This would be devastating for the hundreds of thousands of skilled foreign workers currently in H-1B status and the many more who apply each year.
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
To kill H-1B programme by 2027, US lawmaker introduces bill
Florida Representative Greg Steube introduced the EXILE Act, which seeks to eliminate the H-1B visa program by 2027. The bill aims to stop corporations from using 'cheaper foreign labor' and claims the program has displaced American workers in tech and medicine.
EXILE Act Explained: Inside the bill seeking to end H-1B visa program from fiscal year 2027
The EXILE Act proposes a hard stop rather than a phase-out, setting the annual H-1B visa allocation to zero beginning in October 2026. The bill does not address the status of current visa holders but would prevent any new petitions from being filed.
Lawmaker introduces bill to end H-1B visa program
Healthcare groups warn that the EXILE Act could worsen staffing shortages, particularly in rural areas. The bill follows a recent Trump administration policy imposing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, which has already strained recruitment for international medical graduates.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
EXILE Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.