Hard-right lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced draft legislation to phase out the H-1B visa over ten years, retaining only a shrinking 10,000-visa carve-out for medical professionals. The proposal, revealed on 14 November via social-media posts, brands the programme a “mass replacement” scheme and demands that existing H-1B holders leave the United States when their status expires.
While the bill has little chance of passage in its current form, it signals renewed political hostility ahead of the 2026 mid-terms. Indian nationals receive roughly 70 % of H-1B approvals; any move to restrict or abolish the route would hit the talent pipelines of Infosys, TCS, Wipro and hundreds of U.S. client companies.
![U.S. congresswoman files bill to abolish H-1B programme, stoking worry in India’s tech sector]()
Immigration counsel in Bengaluru and Hyderabad report clients expediting L-1, O-1 and Canada relocation plans “just in case.” Indian start-ups with U.S. subsidiaries are advising assignees to maintain Canadian or European backup options; larger IT firms are reminding employees to keep Form I-140 approvals active to preserve future green-card eligibility.
Industry groups NASSCOM and USISPF quickly condemned the plan, noting that the U.S. jobless rate for computer occupations remains below 2 %. Nevertheless, observers expect copy-cat bills or amendments aimed at tightening prevailing-wage ceilings and shortening visa durations during the 2026 budget cycle.
Mobility teams should monitor Hill developments, brief travellers on potential rhetoric at U.S. ports of entry, and ensure existing H-1B staff compile pay-stub evidence to rebut any “replacement worker” claims during site visits.
While the bill has little chance of passage in its current form, it signals renewed political hostility ahead of the 2026 mid-terms. Indian nationals receive roughly 70 % of H-1B approvals; any move to restrict or abolish the route would hit the talent pipelines of Infosys, TCS, Wipro and hundreds of U.S. client companies.
Immigration counsel in Bengaluru and Hyderabad report clients expediting L-1, O-1 and Canada relocation plans “just in case.” Indian start-ups with U.S. subsidiaries are advising assignees to maintain Canadian or European backup options; larger IT firms are reminding employees to keep Form I-140 approvals active to preserve future green-card eligibility.
Industry groups NASSCOM and USISPF quickly condemned the plan, noting that the U.S. jobless rate for computer occupations remains below 2 %. Nevertheless, observers expect copy-cat bills or amendments aimed at tightening prevailing-wage ceilings and shortening visa durations during the 2026 budget cycle.
Mobility teams should monitor Hill developments, brief travellers on potential rhetoric at U.S. ports of entry, and ensure existing H-1B staff compile pay-stub evidence to rebut any “replacement worker” claims during site visits.
