US Bill to end H-1B exemptions puts universities, Indian academics at risk

US H-1B Bill 2025: A Republican Bill in the US Congress seeks to end H-1B visa exemptions for universities and research bodies, a move that could hit Indian academics hard

H-1B visas used by international researchers and academics could soon come under stricter limits after a top Republican Senator introduced legislation to end exemptions for universities and research institutions.

 

Senator Tom Cotton unveiled the Visa Cap Enforcement Act on Wednesday, which would close long-standing exceptions that allow colleges, non-profits and research centres to hire unlimited numbers of foreign workers outside the annual H-1B quota of 85,000.

 

“Colleges and universities shouldn’t get special treatment for bringing in woke and anti-American professors from around the world,” said Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas. “My Bill closes these loopholes that universities have abused for far too long.”

 

What the Bill proposes

 

The Bill would:

 

• Count foreign workers in H-1B status for more than three years against the visa cap

• Remove exemptions for universities, non-profits and research institutions

• Eliminate provisions easing transitions into H-1B status

• Require new petitions after a change of employer to be counted again under the annual quota

 

If passed, the changes would place universities and research centres under the same limits that apply to private companies, restricting their ability to bring in international faculty and researchers. 

 

H-1B Visa exemptions Impact on Indian academics

 

The proposed restrictions could particularly affect Indian academics, who make up the largest share of H-1B holders. Indians account for more than 70 per cent of the programme, and many are employed in teaching and research positions at US institutions.

 

Cotton, a long-time critic of high-skilled immigration, has argued that H-1B visas disadvantage American workers and carry ideological risks. The Bill has been referred to committee but faces an uncertain future in a closely divided Senate.

 

The move follows a series of measures under the Trump administration targeting high-skilled visas. In September, the administration introduced a $100,000 application fee for H-1B petitions. 

 

US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick defended the fee, saying it would encourage firms to hire more Americans. “It will send less valuable foreign workers back to their home countries,” said Lutnick.

 

Trump has also accused IT outsourcing firms of “systemic abuse” of the H-1B programme, calling it a “national security threat.”