'This puts Americans first': New US bill aims to kill H-1B lottery and end OPT for foreign students
The Bill sets a minimum salary of $110,000 (adjusted for inflation) or equal to the U.S. worker wage in the same role, whichever is higher. A separate provision proposes pushing this up to $150,000, a move that would upend how outsourcing firms operate.
- Sep 19, 2025,
- Updated Sep 19, 2025 7:57 AM IST
H-1B visa reform is back in the spotlight as U.S. Senator Jim Banks introduces the American Tech Workforce Act—a sweeping bill that seeks to raise the H-1B wage floor from $60,000 to $150,000, end the OPT program for foreign students, and replace the current visa lottery with a “highest bidder” selection system.
According to Breitbart News, Banks said the legislation is designed to curb corporate exploitation of U.S. immigration laws to import cheap foreign labor. “This bill puts American workers first,” he stated. “Corporations rigged the system to flood the country with cheap foreign labor and drive down wages.”
The bill targets multiple pillars of the current immigration employment framework:
OPT Elimination: Ends the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program that allows F-1 student visa holders to work temporarily in the U.S. after graduation—affecting nearly half a million foreign graduates, many of them Indian.
H-1B Salary Floor: Sets a minimum salary of $110,000 (adjusted for inflation) or equal to the U.S. worker wage in the same role, whichever is higher. A separate provision proposes pushing this up to $150,000, a move that would upend how outsourcing firms operate.
No More Lottery: Abolishes the random H-1B lottery in favor of awarding visas to employers offering the highest compensation.
The bill also clamps down on third-party staffing arrangements by limiting H-1B validity to one year when workers are placed at client sites—a common practice in the IT outsourcing industry.
Tech giants like Microsoft, cited for laying off 15,000 U.S. workers in 2025 while continuing to sponsor H-1B applications, are under scrutiny. Critics claim the visa system fuels a shadow economy of subcontractor-run "sweatshops" dominated by offshore firms, many Indian-run, with little accountability.
Banks and like-minded lawmakers argue these programs displace at least one million American workers, eroding wages and job stability, while enabling corporations to exploit visa holders with promises of green cards and long-term U.S. residency.
H-1B visa reform is back in the spotlight as U.S. Senator Jim Banks introduces the American Tech Workforce Act—a sweeping bill that seeks to raise the H-1B wage floor from $60,000 to $150,000, end the OPT program for foreign students, and replace the current visa lottery with a “highest bidder” selection system.
According to Breitbart News, Banks said the legislation is designed to curb corporate exploitation of U.S. immigration laws to import cheap foreign labor. “This bill puts American workers first,” he stated. “Corporations rigged the system to flood the country with cheap foreign labor and drive down wages.”
The bill targets multiple pillars of the current immigration employment framework:
OPT Elimination: Ends the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program that allows F-1 student visa holders to work temporarily in the U.S. after graduation—affecting nearly half a million foreign graduates, many of them Indian.
H-1B Salary Floor: Sets a minimum salary of $110,000 (adjusted for inflation) or equal to the U.S. worker wage in the same role, whichever is higher. A separate provision proposes pushing this up to $150,000, a move that would upend how outsourcing firms operate.
No More Lottery: Abolishes the random H-1B lottery in favor of awarding visas to employers offering the highest compensation.
The bill also clamps down on third-party staffing arrangements by limiting H-1B validity to one year when workers are placed at client sites—a common practice in the IT outsourcing industry.
Tech giants like Microsoft, cited for laying off 15,000 U.S. workers in 2025 while continuing to sponsor H-1B applications, are under scrutiny. Critics claim the visa system fuels a shadow economy of subcontractor-run "sweatshops" dominated by offshore firms, many Indian-run, with little accountability.
Banks and like-minded lawmakers argue these programs displace at least one million American workers, eroding wages and job stability, while enabling corporations to exploit visa holders with promises of green cards and long-term U.S. residency.