After Tech Industry, Universities Face Heat of H-1B Visa Programme

The stricter H-1B visa norms have now hit the universities in Florida. The tech industry was shaken immediately after the Trump administration hiked the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 last year. In a latest development, the education system is also facing the impact of the stricter visa norms. The steep hike in the visa fee was aimed at tightening the visa rules.

The Florida University System has decided to temporarily suspend hiring foreign faculty through the H-1B visa programme. The decision will have an impact on all the 12 public institutions in the state, and it will be followed up to January 5, 2027.

Just as the tech sector hires professionals with special talents under the H-1B programme, Universities also recruit foreign professionals for specialized positions in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields through the H-1B programme.

The suspension of hiring would is applicable only for new visas but not to the existing faculty members.

It is worth reminding that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued directions in October last year that the universities should stop the visa misuse in higher education. Some universities are preferring foreign workers, instead of qualified American candidates, he said. The Governor’s issued the directions following a change in the immigration policy after the Donald Trump assumed charge as the US President.

According to the existing rules, the US issues 65,000 H-1B visas each year and an additional 22,000 visas are available for applicants with advanced degrees from American institutions. Professionals hired under the H-1B visa will be allowed to work in the country for 3-6 years.

The temporary suspension is feared to have long-term impact on the universities’ research programmes. Though the pause in hiring is temporary, universities plan well in advance, nearly several years in advance, to hire global talent pools.

The pause in the hiring may not have any immediate affect on the teaching and research process but over time, it would have an impact on the quality of the teaching and research teams.

It has to be seen if the same rule would be extended to other US universities or if the temporary pause in hiring would continue and be made as a permanent rule.