American Tech Workforce Act Introduced to Overhaul H-1B Visa Program

In Washington D.C. today, Senator Jim Banks unveiled the American Tech Workforce Act, proposing to raise the H-1B visa salary floor to $150,000, abolish the OPT program and replace the lottery with a “highest bidder” system. The measure aims to curb alleged corporate exploitation of foreign labor and prioritize American workers.

The bill addresses growing concerns that U.S. employers-particularly in the technology sector-use the H-1B program and OPT to hire lower-cost foreign talent, potentially displacing domestic graduates and driving down wages.

Key provisions of the American Tech Workforce Act include:

• Raising the minimum H-1B salary from $60,000 to $150,000 to discourage low-wage foreign hires and incentivize employers to recruit domestically.
• Ending the Optional Practical Training program, which currently allows F-1 students up to three years of work authorization post-graduation.
• Replacing the current random lottery with a system awarding visas to employers offering the highest compensation.
• Limiting H-1B validity for assignments at third-party client sites to one year, targeting common outsourcing arrangements.

Banks argued the reforms are essential to halt what he called “domestic outsourcing” by major tech firms. Citing recent mass layoffs at Microsoft amid continued H-1B sponsorship, he insisted the program has been “rigged” to flood the U.S. with cheap foreign labor and undercut American wages.

Reactions have been swift: tech industry groups warn the changes could exacerbate talent shortages and hamper competitiveness, while conservative lawmakers praise the effort as a long-overdue correction. The legislation has been officially filed in the Senate and will soon be referred to committee, where its fate remains uncertain amid divided views on H-1B reform.

• September 19, 2025