Bill introduced to end H-1B visas as pathway to permanent residency and eliminates the OPT program; what American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act proposes

US lawmaker Chip Roy has introduced a bill aimed to overhaul the H-1B hiring programme titled “American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026”. Among other changes, the bill seeks to end the use of H-1B visas as a pathway to permanent residency (Green Card) and eliminates the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program to prioritize employment opportunities for American STEM professionals. Publishing an official release, the Republican lawmaker said that the proposed legislation “would reform the H-1B visa program by replacing the absurd lottery system with a wage-based selection process, requiring employers to demonstrate good-faith efforts to hire American workers first, and preventing companies that have recently conducted layoffs from hiring H-1B workers”. The legisation builds on Republican Eli Crane’s (R-AZ) End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, which proposes a three-year pause on H-1B visa issuances followed by comprehensive reforms designed to restore the program’s integrity and effectiveness.