New York: An American lawmaker is set to introduce a bill that seeks to “completely eliminate” the H-1B visa programme and remove the pathway to citizenship it currently offers, effectively requiring visa holders to return to their home countries once their visas expire.
In a video posted on X on Thursday, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her plans, saying:
“My dear fellow Americans, I’m introducing a bill to completely eliminate the H-1B visa programme, which has been riddled with fraud and abuse and has been displacing American workers for decades.”
Greene said the bill would include one limited exemption: an annual cap of 10,000 visas for medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses who provide life-saving care. Even this exemption, she noted, would be phased out over 10 years to allow the US to develop its own workforce pipeline of medical professionals.
She added that the bill would also remove the pathway to citizenship, requiring H-1B holders to leave the country when their visas end. According to Greene, this measure would restore the “original intent” of the programme, which she described as strictly temporary and intended to meet specific, short-term specialty occupation needs.
“These visas were meant to address specialty roles at a particular time,” she said. “People should not be allowed to come and live here forever. We appreciate their expertise, but they should return to their home countries.”
Calling the plan an “America First” approach, Greene argued that ending the programme entirely across all job sectors would protect US workers. “Americans deserve a future. They deserve a chance. I believe Americans are the most talented and creative people in the world and should have the opportunity to pursue their American dream,” she said.
To support the development of US-trained medical professionals, the bill would also bar Medicare-funded residency programmes from admitting non-citizen medical students. Greene claimed that while more than 9,000 US medical graduates failed to secure residency placements last year, over 5,000 foreign-born doctors did receive seats — a situation she called “entirely unfair” and “America last.”
She said the bill aims to address shortages of doctors and nurses by reducing reliance on foreign workers and ensuring residency slots go to American graduates.
The H-1B programme currently allows 65,000 regular visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for applicants holding US advanced degrees. The programme is widely used by US businesses, especially in the technology sector, to hire foreign specialists. Indian professionals — including IT workers and physicians — make up one of the largest segments of H-1B holders.
The Trump administration has already taken steps to restrict the programme. In September, President Donald Trump issued a Proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” as part of broader reforms. Under this order, certain H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025, must include an additional USD 100,000 fee as a condition of eligibility.
