On January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that all Texas public institutions of higher education and state agencies controlled by a gubernatorially appointed head must freeze the initiation and filing of new H-1B visa petitions until the end of the 90th regular legislative session on May 31, 2027. Until then, public universities and impacted state agencies s and universities may only file new H-1B petitions with written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). As currently issued, the directive does not appear to apply to H-1B petitions seeking to extend the H-1B status of workers already employed by these agencies and institutions of higher education. Instructions for requesting TWC approval to file a new petition have not been published. 

The directive also requires all state agencies and public universities in Texas to submit reports to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, 2026 with the following information: 

1. How many new and renewal petitions the entity submitted for H-1B visas in 2025; 
2. How many H-1B visa holders the entity currently sponsors; 
3. The countries of origin of all H-1B visa holders the entity currently sponsors; 
4. Job classifications and descriptions for each visa holder the entity currently sponsors; 
5. The anticipated expiration date for each visa holder the entity currently sponsors; and; 
6. Documentation demonstrating efforts to provide qualified Texas candidates with a reasonable opportunity to apply for each position filled by a H-1B visa holder before a new petition was submitted for that position. 

Foster LLP will continue to monitor state and federal action impacting the H-1B visa program and will provide additional updates via our firm’s website at fosterglobal.com.