The H-1B visa hiring pause until May 2027 has triggered concern among doctors and academics over staffing shortages and research disruption
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American doctors. Photo: Shutterstock
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Texas has ordered a temporary freeze on new H-1B visa hiring at state agencies and public universities, a move that experts and academics warn could affect healthcare centres that rely on foreign-born physicians, doctors and specialist staff.
On Tuesday, Texas governor Greg Abbott directed all state agencies and public universities to halt the filing of new H-1B visa petitions until at least May 31, 2027. The directive cites alleged “abuse” of the visa programme and a push to prioritise jobs for American workers, a claim often made by supporters of the Make America Great Again movement, who argue that foreign workers undercut local wages.
The order applies across the state system, covering public universities and affiliated institutions.
Reactions from researchers and health experts
The move triggered sharp reactions from researchers, economists and healthcare professionals, many of whom took to social media platform X to warn about the impact on research and patient care.
“This ban covers the MD Anderson Cancer Center, arguably the best cancer hospital in the world. They hire top-notch doctors, specialists, and researchers using H-1B visas every year. Bowing to the mob here means hurting cancer patients in Texas and across America. Crazy,” Connor O’Brien, American policy researcher and fellow at the Institute for Progress, said in a post on X.
“This just totally screwed hiring at the cutting-edge research institutions in Texas, right in the middle of hiring season for new PhDs, the main users of H-1B,” said John Soriano, assistant professor of economics at the University of Dallas. “UT and A&M systems are world-class research centres, and this move hurts them. Online groypers first, Texas second.”
“Freezing new H-1B visas in Texas is short-sighted. We already face serious healthcare workforce shortages and struggle to meet patient demand,” Krutika Kuppalli, global health expert and infectious disease physician, also posted on X. “Public universities and health systems rely on H-1Bs to recruit physicians, nurses, scientists, and researchers. This will worsen staffing gaps, slow research, and harm patients, especially in underserved communities. This doesn’t protect Texans. It weakens Texas healthcare.”
Why Texas healthcare institutions rely on H-1B workers
The H-1B visa programme allows US employers to hire highly skilled professionals from overseas in specialised fields such as medicine, science and engineering. Republican leaders have long criticised the programme, describing visa holders as “cheap labour”.
In practice, public universities and their associated teaching hospitals rely on these visas to fill roles that are difficult to staff domestically. Institutions such as the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center regularly recruit physicians, researchers and clinical specialists through the H-1B route.
Healthcare experts say restrictions on new H-1B filings could affect hospitals’ ability to maintain staffing levels, particularly in specialist roles.
Key points from healthcare groups include:
• Foreign-trained healthcare workers play a central role in patient care across the US.
• Rural and underserved areas depend heavily on non-citizen clinicians.
• Visa pathways such as the H-1B are a common route into the workforce for these professionals.
A letter released by the American Hospital Association last year said around 26 per cent of clinicians working in US hospitals are non-citizen immigrants. Many of them enter the workforce through visa categories including the H-1B, the group said.
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