'EXILE, PAUSE': List of introduced bills targeting H-1B visa program and their status

Greg Steube's proposed Exile Act is the latest in the list of legislation proposing to end the H-1B visa program. In the past few months, several US lawmakers came up with similar proposals under different names -- all targeting the visa program that allows US companies to hire skilled specialty workers fromforeign countries.

EXILE Act

Republican lawmaker representing Florida's 17th Congressional District, Greg Steube, proposed the Act, EXILE stands for Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions. It aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the visa program. This legislation proposes to reduce the number of H-1B visas to zero at the beginning of the financial year 2027.

PAUSE Act

In November 2025, Republican Rep Chip Roy (Texas) proposed freezing all immigration. PAUSE stands for Pausing on Admissions Until Security Ensured. It is not targeted at H-1B but all immigration but it cals for terminating the H-1B category. It also proposed canceling OPT which allows F-1 students to work in their fields after their studies.

H-1B, L-1 Visa Reform Act

Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2025, a bill seeking to toughen the criteria for these visa categories. For example, their proposal said a foreign national should have a US Bachelor's degree or a foreign equivalent degree in a specific specialty that is “directly related” to the occupation.

End H-1B Now Act

Former Congress Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, before her exit from Congress, introduced End H-1B Now Act in January 2026. She proposed the elimination of the H-1B visa program with an exemption for medical professionals.

All these are in the state of 'introduced,' and none passed the House, Senate, and are seen more as a political statements and unlikely to become law.