What Is US' New 'WISA' Proposal That Can Help Indian H-1B Visa Holders

US lawmaker Bonnie Watson Coleman has introduced a new bill in the US House of Representatives aimed at reversing strict rules imposed on the H-1B visa programme by US President Donald Trump.

The proposed law, called the Welcoming International Success Act (WISA), seeks to undo measures announced by the Trump administration in September 2025 that made it significantly harder and more expensive for employers to hire foreign professionals under the H-1B system.

The changes introduced last year reportedly created major barriers for companies, universities, hospitals and research institutions that rely on international talent.

What were the Trump administration's 2025 rules?

In September 2025, the Trump administration introduced major restrictions on the H-1B programme.

The measures included:

• A $100,000 fee for employers submitting new H-1B visa petitions.
• Stricter wage requirements for sponsored workers.
• A wage-weighted lottery system that gives priority to higher-paying job offers.

The administration said that these changes would prevent companies from replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign labour and ensure that only highly skilled professionals are brought into the country.

Officials also described the H-1B programme as one of the most frequently abused parts of the US immigration system.

What the WISA proposes

The WISA aims to reverse the key provisions of Trump's September 2025 proclamation.

If passed, the bill would:

• Cancel the immigration proclamation issued in September 2025.
• Remove or reduce the $100,000 employer fee.
• Ease strict wage requirements introduced under the new policy.
• Make it easier for organisations to hire skilled foreign professionals.

According to the legislation, the proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” would effectively have no legal effect if the bill becomes law.

Watson Coleman said the current rules have created “significant barriers” for American employers and institutions that depend on skilled workers from around the world.

What is the H-1B visa programme?

The H-1B visa programme allows American employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised fields where skilled workers are limited or unavailable in the domestic workforce.

These jobs typically require advanced training or specialised knowledge and are commonly found in areas such as Information technology, Engineering, Healthcare, Scientific research, Education and academia.

Technology companies, universities, hospitals and research centres in the US depend heavily on this visa programme to fill specialised roles.

Indian professionals are the largest beneficiaries of the system. More than 70 per cent of H-1B visas are granted to Indian nationals, while applicants from China account for roughly 12 per cent.

Debate over the H-1B system

In January 2026, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a bill called the End H-1B Now Act, which proposes eliminating the visa category entirely from US immigration law.

Another proposal followed in February 2026 when Representative Greg Steube introduced the EXILE Act (Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions Act). His bill seeks to gradually phase out the H-1B programme by 2027.

How the WISA can help Indians

The proposed legislation is especially significant for Indian professionals because they dominate the H-1B system.

Recent estimates show:

• About 7.3 lakh H-1B visa holders currently live in the US.
• Around 5.5 lakh dependents, including spouses and children, live with them.
• More than 70 per cent of these visa holders are from India.

Because Indians make up such a large share of the programme, any change to the rules could directly affect thousands of Indian engineers, IT professionals, researchers and healthcare workers.

To become law, the bill first needs to be passed by the US House of Representatives, after which it must also be approved by the Senate. If both chambers of Congress clear the legislation, it will then be sent to the President, who must sign it for the bill to officially become law. Until that happens, the current H-1B rules introduced in 2025 will continue to remain in effect.