Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the approaching winter storm Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the State Operations Center in Austin.
Jay Janner | Austin American Politician | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the state’s H-1B visa program and directed state officials and universities to suspend new visa applications.
“In light of recent reports of abuses in the federal H-1B visa program, and as the federal government continues to review the program to ensure American jobs are available to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa applications,” Abbott wrote in a letter to state officials.
The Republican governor said the freeze would last until May 31, 2027, and that he would allow exceptions with written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The Governor gave each agency until March 27, 2026, to compile a report identifying the number of new and renewed H-1B petitions filed last year, the number of visa holders sponsored, and the countries of origin and occupations of those visa holders.
The Florida Board of Regents, which governs Florida’s university system, is currently asking public universities to suspend the issuance of H-1B visas until January 5, 2027.
H-1B visas allow highly skilled foreign professionals, primarily in specialized occupations such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, to work in the United States.
The program offers 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 visas approved for three to six years for workers with advanced degrees.
Last year, President Donald Trump, who has sought to implement aggressive immigration policies during his second term, imposed a new $100,000 lump-sum payment on new applicants for H-1B visas.
More than 20 states, excluding Texas, objected to the move.
The Trump administration has said the H-1B program is being abused by U.S. employers seeking to replace American workers with lower-wage foreign workers.
