American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026
Rep. Roy Introduces Bill to Cut H-1B Visa Length and Prioritize Higher-Paid Workers
This bill was recently introduced and is currently being reviewed by the House Committee on the Judiciary. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is considered active. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
This bill proposes very strict changes that would likely face heavy opposition from major tech companies and business groups. It currently lacks broad bipartisan support and faces a difficult path in a divided Congress.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
H-1B visa holders would face dramatically shorter stays (2 years instead of 6), a requirement to prove intent to return home, and loss of the ability to transition to permanent residency while in the U.S. The bill would also end provisions allowing workers to stay while green card applications are pending. For the roughly 600,000 H-1B workers currently in the U.S., this would fundamentally change their career trajectory and ability to build a life in America.
Programs
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 articlesNew H-1B 'reform' bill introduced by US Congressman Chip Roy: What it means for Indian techies
The American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026 seeks to replace the H-1B lottery with wage-based selection and requires employers to pay the 75th percentile wage. It also bars companies with recent layoffs from hiring foreign workers and eliminates the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
Bill introduced to end H-1B visas as pathway to permanent residency and eliminates the OPT program
A new bill by Rep. Chip Roy would radically change the H-1B program by cutting visa duration to two years and setting a 5% cap on foreign workers per company. It introduces a 75th percentile wage floor and allows U.S. workers to bring federal court claims if they are displaced by visa holders.
H-1B visa lottery out, wage-based picks in: What new bill means for Indian professionals working in US
Introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act would shorten the maximum H-1B stay from six years to two. It requires employers to prove they attempted to hire Americans first and sets strict limits on the percentage of foreign staff a company can employ.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.