Texas Governor halts new H-1B visa petitions at state agencies, universities until next year
Texas Governor on Tuesday ordered all the universities and state agencies to halt fresh H-1B visa petitions until next year, news agency AP reported. These are used by employers to hire foreign workers with specialised skills
The pause in the American state, which is home to tens of thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes amid steps by the Trump administration aimed at revamping the visa programme.
For which institutions are the H-1B visas paused?
The pause on H-1B applications applies to state agencies “controlled by a gubernatorially appointed head” and public universities
Till when are the H-1B visa applications paused?
The pause on. the H-1B visa applications is scheduled to last until May 31, 2027.
Are there any exceptions?
Texas governor Greg Abbott’s order allows exceptions if permission is granted from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Why the pause?
Abbott said the freeze will give lawmakers time to “establish statutory guardrails for future employment practices regarding federal visa holders in state government” and for Congress to “modify federal law” and for the Trump Administration to “implement reforms aimed at eliminating abuse of this visa program.” Currently, the public university in the state with the most H-1B visas is the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas with 228 visa holders, based on data reported by the US Citizen & Immigration Services in September.
