Florida may freeze new H-1B hiring at public universities for a year

The proposed pause would bar Florida's public universities from hiring new H-1B workers until early 2027, while leaving existing visa holders unaffected

Florida is moving towards a one-year freeze on new H-1B visa hiring across its public university system, a step supporters say is meant to protect American jobs and reduce dependence on foreign labour.

 

The proposal is expected to be taken up by Florida’s Board of Governors at its January 29, 2026 meeting. If cleared, it would stop state universities from bringing in new faculty or staff on H-1B visas until early 2027. US-based outlet Politico reported that the draft policy has already been circulated among board members.

 

The plan follows an earlier directive from Governor Ron DeSantis and has reopened debate over how far states can go in shaping immigration-linked hiring within public institutions.

   

What is the background to the proposed freeze?

 

In mid-2023, DeSantis instructed Florida’s public universities and state agencies to cut back their use of H-1B and other employment visas. At the time, he argued that taxpayer funds should first support US citizens and permanent residents.

 

Under that directive, universities were told to justify any foreign hiring as “essential” and to demonstrate that no qualified American worker was available before moving ahead with visa sponsorship.

 

After that order, several state universities paused or sharply reduced new H-1B filings, especially for teaching and research roles. This happened even though there was no formal, system-wide ban in place.

 

The new proposal before the Board of Governors would turn those discretionary curbs into a uniform, time-bound rule, applying across all public campuses.

 

What is Florida proposing for new H-1B hiring?

 

According to the draft policy seen by Politico, Florida’s public universities would be barred from hiring new employees on H-1B visas for roughly one year.

 

The key points include:

 

< The freeze would affect recruitment cycles for the fall 2026 academic semester

< Existing H-1B visa holders would not be affected

< Universities would be unable to add new H-1B faculty, researchers, or professional staff during the freeze

 

If approved, the measure would rank among the strongest state-level limits on H-1B hiring in public higher education.

 

Florida’s public university system currently employs close to 400 workers on H-1B visas.

 

Why does Florida want to curb H-1B hiring?

 

At a news conference in October 2025 at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, DeSantis criticised how the H-1B programme is used by both companies and universities.

 

He accused them of turning to foreign workers “at a discount” instead of hiring qualified Americans.

 

That line of argument mirrors the approach taken by the Trump administration at the federal level. Last year, new rules were introduced for the H-1B programme, including a sharp rise in application fees to $100,000, up from the earlier range of $2,000 to $5,000.