A new immigration bill introduced in the US House of Representatives aims to roll back several restrictions placed on the H-1B visa programme during President Donald Trump’s second term. The move comes amid ongoing debate in Washington over how to manage high-skilled immigration, particularly from countries such as India that supply a large share of technology and healthcare professionals to the United States.
The proposed legislation, titled the Welcoming International Success Act (WISA), was introduced by Democratic Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman. If enacted, the bill would nullify the September 2025 presidential proclamation that imposed stricter wage thresholds and a $100,000 employer sponsorship fee for new H-1B applicants. The proclamation is already facing multiple legal challenges, including lawsuits from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of Democrat-led states headed by California, which argue the measures are unconstitutional and harmful to public services such as education and healthcare.
Supporters of the WISA Act say the H-1B programme helps fill labour shortages by bringing skilled professionals into key sectors including technology, engineering, healthcare and academic research. In a statement released by her office, Coleman said the restrictions had created major hurdles for employers, universities, hospitals and research institutions that depend on specialised global talent. She argued that the visa system complements rather than replaces the domestic workforce and plays an important role in sustaining US economic growth.
Coleman also highlighted workforce pressures in healthcare, noting that an ageing population, pandemic-related burnout, tighter visa rules and limits on federal student loans for nursing degrees have combined to create the risk of a severe staffing shortage. She said easing H-1B constraints through the WISA Act would help address rising demand for qualified medical professionals. The bill has drawn backing from several Democratic lawmakers, including Yvette Clarke, Lois Frankel, Seth Moulton and Hank Johnson, who have signed on as co-sponsors.
The legislative push comes at a time when the H-1B programme is facing mounting strain. The visa has long served as a pathway for skilled foreign professionals to work in the United States, with Indian nationals forming the largest share of recipients. Research by the Pew Research Center shows Indians accounted for nearly three-quarters of roughly 400,000 H-1B approvals in 2023, many employed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles such as software development and engineering.
Recent policy shifts have significantly altered how the programme operates. In addition to the $100,000 sponsorship fee, the traditional lottery-based selection system has been replaced with a weighted process that prioritises higher-paid applicants, a change critics say effectively prices out many candidates. Other measures, including the suspension of certain overseas visa processing services and expanded social-media screening requirements, have reportedly left thousands of professionals stranded outside the US and separated from their workplaces and families.
There have also been efforts to dismantle the programme entirely. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced the End H-1B Now Act in January, proposing to terminate the programme except for a temporary extension for medical workers. Similarly, Representative Greg Steube put forward the EXILE Act in February, which seeks to phase out the visa by reducing annual allocations to zero by 2027.
