Chip Roy Introduces Bill to Reform H-1B Visa Program

Congressman Chip Roy (R) introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026, legislation that would overhaul the H-1B visa Program by prioritizing higher-wage positions, requiring employers to hire Americans first, and eliminating the Optional Practical Training Program.

What does the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act do?

The bill that Rep. Chip Roy has introduced aims to restructure the H-1B visa program and increase employment opportunities for American workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The legislation would replace the current H-1B lottery system with a wage-based selection process, require employers to demonstrate good-faith efforts to recruit American workers before hiring foreign workers, and prohibit companies that have recently conducted layoffs from hiring H-1B visa holders.

The bill would also eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program and end the use of H-1B visas as a pathway to permanent residency.

Why is the legislation being proposed?

Supporters of the bill argue that the current H-1B system has strayed from its original purpose and has been used to replace American workers with lower-cost foreign labor.

The legislation builds upon Congressman Eli Crane's (R-AZ) End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, which calls for a temporary pause on H-1B visa issuances followed by broader reforms to the program.

What Lawmakers are saying

Rep. Chip Roy: "For its nearly forty-year history, the H-1B visa has been abused, allowing employers to routinely sideline American STEM workers in favor of cheap foreign labor, while masking layoffs and wage suppression as 'shortages.'"

Rep. Eli Crane: "Congress should be doing everything in our power to prioritize our own citizens rather than facilitating their displacement."

Key Provisions

• Replaces the H-1B lottery with a wage-based selection system.
• Requires employers to prioritize American workers.
• Bars recently downsizing companies from hiring H-1B workers.
• Ends H-1B use as a pathway to permanent residency.
• Eliminates the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
• Seeks to prioritize employment opportunities for American STEM professionals.

Who supports the bill?

The legislation has received endorsements from organizations including U.S. Tech Workers, the Immigration Accountability Project, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which argue the proposal would strengthen protections for American workers and reduce abuse within the H-1B system.