Changes to the H-1B visa program at the state and federal levels could make it harder for skilled international workers to work in Houston.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 12:02AMChanges to the H-1B visa program at the state and federal levels could make it harder for skilled international workers to work in the United States. A huge part of our daily lives in our city and country, skilled workers from around the world benefit from the H-1B visa program, which has been around since 1990.
These are people like researchers, physicians, and engineers, who are allowed to legally work here if organizations can prove they haven't been able to find American workers with similar skills. These visas expire after three years, and employees must be paid comparable salaries to U.S. workers. "All you have to do is go to any major hospital and you look around at the doctors treating you or the nurses, health professionals, a high percentage will be foreign nationals and a good part of them graduated from a U.S. university and they were able to remain in the us because of the H-1B visa classification," immigration attorney Charles C. Foster said. The Trump administration increased H-1B visa application fees last year, and starting Friday, the visa system will operate on a weighted scale, prioritizing higher-paid, higher-skilled workers. Here in Texas, the governor has frozen all new H-1B visa applications for public universities and state agencies for now. That means places like the University of Houston, which officials estimate has somewhere around 100 H-1B workers, or UT Health, won't be getting any new skilled workers this year without special approval. "So physicians that are here on H-1B, they are also worried, and they are looking for jobs outside the state," said Dr. Jayesh B. Shah, the President of the Texas Medical Association. "We have 30 to 40 counties in Texas where there is no physician." Reports from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services show that nearly 4,500 H-1B visa approvals were issued in Houston last year. Professional, scientific, and technical services were at the top, followed by educational services, manufacturing, construction, and, finally, energy to round out the top five.The ABC News Data Team crunched the numbers and found that Chicago, which is relatively close in population to Houston, had about three times the number of people on H-1B visas than Houston.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
State adds new charge in Houston-area’s first AI child exploitation caseKane James Kellum, 34, of Nacogdoches is accused of using artificial intelligence to generate images of child pornography of minors that he knew.
Read more »
Houston Texans plan massive 83-acre ‘Toro District’ development in northwest Harris CountyThe Houston Texans are planning a sweeping new 83-acre mixed-use development in northwest Harris County — and for many residents, the big questions are: What does this mean for my taxes? And how will it impact my neighborhood?
Read more »
Former NASA employee sues City of Houston, accusers over 'weaponized' sexual assault allegationsA former NASA employee has filed a sweeping federal lawsuit against the City of Houston, two police detectives, and several women, alleging he was the victim of a coordinated 'smear campaign' that led to his false arrest and the destruction of his career.
Read more »
Former NASA engineer sues City of Houston, sex assault accusers after charges dismissedA former NASA engineer has filed a federal lawsuit against four women who accused him of sexual assault, as well as the City of Houston and two Houston police detectives.
Read more »
Vegas Releases Enticing Season Win Total for 2026 Houston TexansThe Houston Texans should get to double digit wins again this season.
Read more »
Houston weather: Warm Thursday to kickoff Houston rodeo BBQ contestToday is the kickoff of the Houston rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and the weather looks pleasant with highs reaching the mid-80s.
Read more »