US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced that she will introduce a bill to completely eliminate the H-1B visa programme, ending one of the most popular work visa pathways for skilled foreign professionals, including thousands of Indians.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the Georgia lawmaker said the programme has been “riddled with fraud and abuse” and has “displaced American workers for decades.” Greene claimed her proposed legislation would end the H-1B programme entirely and revoke the pathway to US citizenship for visa holders, forcing them to return home after their visas expire.
“My dear fellow Americans, I’m introducing a bill to completely eliminate the H-1B visa programme. This is an America First policy that puts our citizens ahead of foreigners,” Greene said.
Her bill includes one temporary exemption—allowing up to 10,000 visas annually for medical professionals such as doctors and nurses—but she said even that provision will be phased out over ten years. “We need to build our own pipeline of American doctors and nurses,” she added.
The Congresswoman said her proposal also seeks to ban Medicare-funded residency programmes from admitting non-citizen medical students. Citing statistics, she claimed that in 2023, more than 9,000 American medical graduates were left without residency placements, while over 5,000 foreign-born doctors secured those positions. “This is entirely unfair and puts America last,” she said.
Under current rules, the US issues 65,000 regular H-1B visas and an additional 20,000 for advanced degree holders annually. The programme, widely used by technology companies, enables firms to hire foreign professionals in specialised roles.
The move marks an escalation in anti-immigration rhetoric among right-wing lawmakers and comes after the Trump administration’s September 2025 proclamation introducing a $100,000 additional fee for certain H-1B petitions as part of a broader visa reform.
Greene said the bill’s intent is to “restore the original purpose” of temporary work visas. “These visas were meant to fill short-term specialty needs, not allow people to live here forever. We thank them for their expertise, but it’s time they return home,” she stated.
The proposal, if tabled, could face significant opposition from business and technology sectors, which rely heavily on H-1B professionals—particularly from India, which remains the largest source of skilled visa holders in the United States.
