Published by: Financial Express - April 30, 2026
https://www.financialexpress.com/immigration/h-1b-pause-bill-has-no-legislative-traction-immigration-attorney-shares-why-theres-no-need-to-panic/4222683/
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
However, speaking to financialexpress.com, Rajiv S. Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com, said that much of the fear is being driven more by misunderstanding than by any real policy change. He also pointed out that the bill is still a long way from becoming law. At present, it has only eight Republican co-sponsors, no backing in the Senate, and no committee hearings scheduled.
‘Bill has no legislative traction’ says expert
“The moratorium provision in H.R. 8170 is not the same as an immediate shutdown, and that distinction matters. A three-year freeze means no new H-1B petitions are approved during that window. Current H-1B holders would not be deported overnight, but the bill (if ever passed) does require them to gradually exit, and the pathway from H-1B to permanent residence would close entirely,” Khanna explained.
The expert also explained that the bill is still very far from becoming law. “However, the Indian professional community should understand that this bill has no legislative traction. Representative Crane introduced it on April 22, 2026, and as of today, it has eight Republican co-sponsors, no Senate companion bill, and no committee hearing scheduled.”
He added, “This is the fourth or fifth H-1B restriction bill introduced in Congress in the past six months alone, and none of them have advanced a single procedural step. The bill is a political statement, not a legislative reality. That does not mean it should be dismissed. These bills signal the direction of a vocal faction in Congress, and that direction is worth watching carefully,” the immigration attorney added.”
The $200,000 salary rule that could shut out legitimate H-1B roles
The proposed minimum salary requirement of $200,000 has also raised questions. The expert said this rule sounds direct, but could completely change how the H-1B programme works in practice. “The $200,000 minimum salary threshold is, frankly, designed to sound tough, but in practice it would effectively shut down much of the programme,” Khanna told financialexpress.com.
Khanna explained that the current H-1B system already requires employers to pay the prevailing wage, which differs based on job role and location. A flat $200,000 benchmark, he added, ignores those differences completely.
“This would wipe out a large number of legitimate H-1B roles in healthcare, education, non-profit research, and mid-level technology jobs across the country,” he said. “Even in Silicon Valley, $200,000 is not a universal starting point, it is usually reserved for senior engineers, not the wider pool of skilled workers the programme is meant to support.”
Speaking of the proposed wage-based lottery system, Khanna said, it would amplify the imbalance further. According to him, companies with bigger financial resources would dominate the selection process, while hospitals, universities, and smaller tech firms could be pushed out despite depending heavily on H-1B talent.
“The Indian professional community, which is largely made up of mid-career technical workers and early professionals, would be the most affected,” he said. “Not because of lack of skill, but because of how their jobs are structured and paid.” In his view, the end result would not be a cleaner system, but a narrower one. “This would not end abuse. It would end access for everyone except large, high-paying tech companies,” he added.