U.S. Representative Greg Steube has introduced the Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act, or EXILE Act. This EXILE Act aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the H-1B visa program.
The H-1B visa program allows US companies to hire foreign workers subject to certain specific conditions. The EXILE Act has been introduced at a time when the USCIS has announced the opening and closing dates for the H-1B 2027 Cap season initial registration.
EXILE ACT
“Prioritizing foreign labor over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests. Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again,” said Steube.
According to the bill, the EXILE Act would amend Section 214(g)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) by ending the H-1B visa program, as more than 80% of H-1B visa recipients are Indian or Chinese nationals, with priority given to younger workers.
However, the new wage-based H-1B selection process has already been introduced, favouring highly paid foreign workers and actually against the low-paid, low-skilled overseas workforce.
Further, a new rule requires US firms to pay $100,000 for every H-1B petition filed, thus making the hiring process of foreign workers expensive for American companies.
How H-1B visa program has disadvantaged American workers
Steube shared some examples of how the H-1B visa program has disadvantaged American workers.
The H-1B visa program has prevented more than 10,000 U.S. physicians from accessing residency programs by facilitating the arrival of more than 5,000 foreign-born doctors.
More than 16,000 Microsoft employees were displaced following the approval of more than 9,000 H-1B visas in 2025.
FedEx’s utilization of the H-1B resulted in the shuttering of more than 100 facilities across the United States.
Disney laid off 250 employees in 2015, only to replace them with foreign workers brought in via the H-1B visa.
In 2014, Southern California Edison fired 540 workers. Their replacements were brought in from two Indian outsourcing firms that utilized the H-1B visa program.