Tim Sheehy

WASHINGTON: A Republican senator has introduced a Bill in the US Senate proposing a three-year pause on new H-1B visas and stricter curbs on the programme, citing concerns over its impact on American workers.

US Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana introduced the End H-1B Abuse Act, which seeks to suspend issuance of new visas and later restart the programme under tighter limits and standards.

“The H-1B programme was created to address workforce shortages for specialised, difficult-to-fill positions -- not to displace qualified, hardworking Americans with cheaper, foreign labour,” Sheehy said in a statement on Thursday.

“My legislation, the End H-1B Abuse Act, restores the programme to its original intent and puts American workers first by closing loopholes that incentivise abuse, strengthening guardrails and prioritising our national security interests,” he said.

The H-1B visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialised occupations requiring technical expertise, with firms, particularly in the technology sector, hiring large numbers annually from countries such as India and China.

The proposed legislation also seeks to formalise the $100,000 fee per H-1B petition introduced by the Donald Trump administration, which was struck down by a federal court.

The First Circuit Court of Appeals recently declined to stay a June 8 ruling by a US district judge that termed the fee an unlawful tax not authorised by Congress.

The Bill proposes replacing the existing lottery system with a wage-based selection process, banning concurrent employment and third-party staffing arrangements, and ending the “dual intent” provision for H-1B visa holders.

It also seeks to bar such visa holders from bringing dependents, prevent federal agencies from employing non-immigrant visa holders, and end work authorisation programmes for foreign students and certain exchange visitors.

The legislation, backed by the Immigration Accountability Project and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, is positioned as a measure to tighten oversight and prioritise domestic employment.