WASHINGTON- A fresh legislative push to dismantle the H-1B visa programme has emerged in the US House of Representatives, raising concerns across industries that rely heavily on skilled foreign professionals, including aviation, aerospace, and advanced engineering.
Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube has introduced the Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions Act, or the EXILE Act, which proposes eliminating the H-1B visa programme by reducing its annual cap to zero starting fiscal year 2027.
New US H-1B Visa Bill
The new proposal seeks amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act and marks the second legislative attempt this year to end the long-standing employment visa route.
The EXILE Act targets Section 214(g)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the provision that governs the H-1B visa cap. If enacted, most US employers would be barred from filing new H-1B petitions once the cap is reduced to zero.
Currently, the H-1B programme allows an annual cap of 85,000 visas, including 20,000 reserved for individuals holding advanced US degrees. While non-profit organisations and universities remain exempt from this cap, the bill does not yet clarify whether those exemptions would continue.
The H-1B visa enables US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised occupations, including aviation engineering, aircraft maintenance planning, data analytics, and safety research.
These roles often support airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and airport operators managing complex global operations.
The Bill’s Impact on Workforce
According to The Times of India, available approval data shows that Indian nationals account for roughly 71 percent of H-1B visa approvals, with 283,000 approvals recorded in the most recent dataset.
Chinese nationals follow with about 46,680 approvals, representing around 12 percent of beneficiaries.
Steube’s office cites this concentration, arguing that more than 80 percent of H-1B visas are issued to workers from India and China. The congressman claims the system favours younger foreign workers and disadvantages American employees.
In public remarks, Steube said the programme allows corporations to replace domestic workers with lower-cost foreign labour, undermining long-term workforce stability. He framed the bill as a measure to prioritise American workers and protect domestic employment opportunities.
Aviation Sector Concerns
For the aviation sector, the proposal adds to the uncertainty already created by recent changes to the H-1B selection process. The traditional random lottery has been replaced with a wage-based weighted system, significantly altering hiring strategies for technical and operational roles.
A new $100,000 fee for certain new H-1B petitions further raises costs for employers, including airlines and aerospace firms that depend on specialised global talent.
Industry observers warn that eliminating the programme could intensify skills shortages in safety-critical and technology-driven functions.
The bill follows an earlier attempt in January, when then-Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced the End H-1B Now Act shortly before leaving office.
Together, the proposals signal growing political pressure on employment-based immigration, with potential ripple effects across US aviation and related industries.
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