BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that all Texas universities and state agencies must immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions through the end of the 2027 legislative session.
The directive also requires all state agencies under the governor’s control, as well as all public university systems and higher education institutions, to launch a comprehensive review of the current H-1B visa program following “recent reports of abuse” within the program.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the H‑1B visa program lets U.S. employers temporarily hire foreign workers for jobs that require specialized expertise. These jobs require specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree. The program is meant to help employers fill jobs when they can’t find enough qualified workers in the U.S. workforce. This visa is often used by public universities and academic medical centers.
Reports from the Quorum Report and the Texas Tribune show Abbott’s office asked the Texas A&M University System last week to provide data on employees working under H-1B visas by the close of business Monday. Texas A&M was closed on Monday due to severe winter weather, and it is unclear whether those documents have been submitted.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Data, Texas A&M University is the state’s 17th-largest employer of H-1B visa holders, with 214 currently on staff. Texas A&M AgriLife Research also ranks among the state’s top 100 H-1 B users, employing 55 nonimmigrant workers through the program. The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, the Texas A&M Forest Service are also among Brazos Valley H-1B users associated with state government agencies.
The freeze applies to all state agencies and public universities with state-appointed administration. The 12th Man Foundation and the Association of Former Students both list a single employee on an H-1B visa, but each has an independently appointed board of directors that handles its leadership.
Now, agencies must submit detailed reports on their current H-1B visa holders, including job classifications, countries of origin, and documentation of efforts to recruit Texas candidates before sponsoring foreign workers. All submissions are due to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, 2026.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis began a similar crackdown on H-1B visas in higher education last year. DeSantis urged schools to prioritize American graduates and “pull the plug” on H-1B visas at state universities. Later this week, the Board of Governors of Florida’s state university system is set to vote on an H-1B visa ban that would run through early next year.
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