❓WHAT HAPPENED: Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) ordered a freeze on all new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and universities amid a federal investigation into abuse.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Abbott, the Texas Workforce Commission, and state universities.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The directive was issued on January 27, 2026, affecting the state of Texas.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Texans come first. I’m directing state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions.” – Greg Abbott
🎯IMPACT: Texas is the first state to implement a statewide freeze on H-1B visa petitions, impacting thousands of potential migrants and employers.
In a memo issued on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) instructed state agencies and publicly funded universities to immediately halt all H-1B visa petitions amid a federal investigation into abuse. Abbott stated that the Texas economy should be refocused to “the benefit of Texas workers and Texas employers.” Abbott’s directive makes Texas the first state to implement such a statewide freeze.
“No state agency controlled by a gubernatorially appointed head or public institution of higher education shall, without the written permission of the Texas Workforce Commission, initiate or file any new petition to sponsor a nonimmigrant worker under the federal H-1B visa program until the end of the Texas Legislature’s 90th Regular Session on May 31, 2027,” Gov. Abbott’s memo declares. He goes on to cite “recent reports of abuse” and the federal government’s “ongoing review” of the H-1B visa program as reasons for the decision.
The Texas governor further instructed all state agencies to submit a report to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, 2026, detailing the number of H-1B visa holders currently employed, their countries of origin, and documentation showing efforts to provide qualified Texans with opportunities to fill those positions. “Rather than serving its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest individuals from around the world to our nation to fill truly specialized and unmet labor needs, the program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could—and should—have been filled by Texans,” he admitted.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gov. Abbott wrote, “Texans come first. I’m directing state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions. Texas taxpayers invest billions to train our workforce. Those jobs should go to Texans. Texas is the strongest economic engine in America. We’re going to keep it that way.”
Texas approved over 40,000 H-1B visa petitions in fiscal year 2025, ranking second in the nation behind only California.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.