H-1B and L-1 visas face tougher rules as US senators push reform Bill

US senators push Bill to tighten H-1B and L-1 visas, raising wages, job posting rules and enforcement amid tech layoffs and $100,000 fee

The top Republican and Democrat on the US Senate Judiciary Committee have reintroduced legislation to toughen rules on the H-1B and L-1 worker visa programmes, saying the reforms are needed to close loopholes and stop misuse by large employers.

 

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Democratic ranking member Dick Durbin of Illinois said the Bill would raise wage and hiring standards, make public job postings mandatory and narrow visa eligibility.

 

The move comes weeks after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications, creating unease among companies that depend on the visas to bring in talent.

 

H-1B and L-1 visas under scrutiny

 

The H-1B visa is widely used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers, especially from India and China. The L-1 visa, by contrast, allows multinational firms to transfer staff from overseas offices into the US.

 

Grassley and Durbin said the current system has been exploited by employers. “Congress created the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes as limited pathways for businesses to acquire top talent when it can’t be found at home,” said Grassley. “But over the years, many employers have used them to cut out American workers in favour of cheap foreign labour. Congress must step in again to bring integrity back to these programmes and restore dignity for American and foreign workers.”

 

Grassley added on X: “We have been pushing reforms since 2007. Our legislation is needed now more than ever.”

 

Durbin echoed the point, linking visa misuse to widespread job cuts. “Major companies are laying off thousands of American workers while filing thousands of visa petitions for foreign workers at depressed wages and poor working conditions,” he said. “Congress must step in to protect American workers and fix our broken immigration system.”

 

Big tech firms in the spotlight

 

The senators revealed they had written to ten major US employers, including Amazon, Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms, asking them to explain their reliance on H-1B visas while laying off staff.

 

The Bill is backed by Senators Tommy Tuberville, Richard Blumenthal and Bernie Sanders as original cosponsors.

 

What the new Bill proposes

 

The legislation introduces a series of new rules for employers:

 

• Raise wage and recruitment requirements

• Require jobs to be posted on a searchable Labour Department website for US workers and laid-off H-1B holders

• Authorise the Labour Department to collect fees to fund 200 new enforcement staff

• Prioritise visas for highly educated STEM workers

• Tighten the definition of “specialty occupation” to require at least a bachelor’s degree

• Restrict L-1 petitions for “new offices”

• Increase cooperation from the State Department in verifying foreign affiliates

 

Employers who breach wage rules could face fines or even bans from future applications.