Grothman and Husted Introduce H-1B Salary Threshold Bill
Representative Glenn Grothman and Senator Jon Husted introduced legislation to raise the salary threshold for H-1B visa sponsors to prioritize American workers.
Glenn Grothman and Jon Husted introduced the Protecting American Workers Through H-1B Modernization Act in the U.S. House and Senate. The legislation targets a loophole that allows H-1B-dependent employers to bypass recruiting American workers if they pay foreign visa holders above a certain salary threshold.
The proposed law would replace the current $60,000 threshold, established in 1998, with a dynamic benchmark set at twice the Social Security Administration’s national average wage index. This new limit is estimated to be nearly $140,000. Supporters of the measure argue the existing limit fails to account for inflation and allows companies to avoid protections for qualified U.S. citizens.
The measure is expected to primarily affect Indian IT services companies that rely on H-1B-dependent workforces. While the House bill, H.R. 10799, has been referred to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 committee, it is unlikely to move forward before the November 3 midterm elections.
