Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered an immediate halt to new H-1B visa petitions filed by state agencies and public universities as the state investigates potential abuse of the federal visa program.
In a letter announcing the move, Abbott cited reports alleging that U.S. workers have been displaced by lower-paid foreign labor through misuse of the program.
"In the most egregious schemes, employers have even fired American workers and replaced them with H-1B employees, often at lower wages," wrote Abbott.
The governor said the H-1B program has drifted from its original purpose of filling highly specialized labor shortages.
"Rather than serving its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest individuals from around the world to our nation to fill truly specialized and unmet labor needs, the program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could- and should- have been filled by Texans," Abbott added.
Abbott said the pause will allow state and federal officials time to enact reforms while Texas continues investigating education and workforce training to meet labor demands without relying on the visa program.
Texans come first.
I’m directing state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions. Texas taxpayers invest billions to train our workforce. Those jobs should go to Texans.
Texas is the strongest economic engine in America. We’re going to keep it that way.…
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 27, 2026
The announcement follows actions taken by President Donald Trump, who signed two executive orders on Sept. 19, 2025 establishing the "Trump Gold Card" and imposing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. Trump alleges that the program has been abused to replace American workers.
"The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security," Trump wrote in a Sept. 19 Proclamation.
Abbot's order also requires state agencies and public universities to submit a report to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 17, detailing their H-1B filings, current visa holders, countries of origin, job classifications, visa expiration dates, and efforts to recruit qualified Texas residents.
