HB 6937, titled the “End H-1B Now Act,” would phase out and ultimately eliminate the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. The bill sets a declining annual cap on H-1B visas beginning in fiscal year 2026, reducing the number each year until reaching zero in fiscal year 2035 and thereafter. It also narrows the occupations eligible for H-1B status during the phase-out period, removing the fashion model category and limiting specialty occupation eligibility to physicians, surgeons, and nurses.
In addition to immigration changes, the bill amends Medicare-related law to bar Medicare-funded residency programs from counting programs that train aliens toward the relevant residency definition for cost reporting purposes. This would affect hospitals, graduate medical education programs, and foreign nationals participating in medical training, while also implicating federal immigration and health care financing statutes.
Impact
The bill would substantially amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by phasing out H-1B admissions, changing the statutory eligibility framework for H-1B workers, and eliminating certain H-1B categories. It would also amend the Social Security Act to restrict how Medicare-funded residency programs are treated when they train noncitizens, potentially affecting federal reimbursement calculations and residency program eligibility for Medicare support. The practical effect would be to reduce access to H-1B employment visas over time and to alter the treatment of foreign medical trainees in federally supported graduate medical education.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the available sentiment appears to be strongly restrictive toward H-1B immigration and foreign worker participation. The bill’s title and structure suggest support from sponsors seeking to sharply curtail the program, while the lack of committee discussion or voting history means there is no documented bipartisan consensus or formal opposition in the provided record. Overall, the measure reads as a policy statement favoring domestic labor and tighter immigration limits over continued use of the H-1B system.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely to be the elimination of a major employment-based visa pathway and the restriction of H-1B eligibility to a narrow set of medical occupations during the phase-out. Critics would likely argue that the bill could harm employers that rely on skilled foreign workers, especially in technology, engineering, and other specialty fields, while supporters would likely contend that it protects American workers and reduces visa abuse. The Medicare residency provision may also draw concern from hospitals and medical education stakeholders because it would affect funding and training arrangements for programs involving noncitizen residents.