Sen. Banks Introduces Bill to Improve Visa Systems for American WorkersWednesday, September 17, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C,– This week, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced theAmerican Tech Workforce Act.This bill works to better align the visa program with labor market demands and protect American workers.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.):“Corporations rigged the system to flood the country with cheap foreign labor and drive down wages. This bill puts American workers first.”
Kevin Lynn, Founder, U.S. Tech Workers:“Senator Banks has been a longtime champion of American workers and a steadfast advocate for protecting American manufacturing, domestic supply chains, and intellectual property. This critical legislation addresses decades of policies that have systematically undermined American tech workers in favor of cheaper foreign labor.”
Key Provisions of theAmerican Tech Workforce Actare:
The bill has been endorsed by the Immigration Accountability Project, the American Principles Project, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), U.S. Tech Workers, and NumbersUSA.
Full text of the bill can be foundhere.
Read more about the billhere.
Background:
The H-1B visa program has been abused to disadvantage American workers and drive down wages in skilled occupations. Although the number of H-1B visas is limited by statute, the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program was designed as an uncapped end-run around statutory limits. These two programs have displaced countless Americans in skilled professions, especially STEM. In some STEM fields, as many as 50% of recent graduates are unemployed after graduation.
Then-Congressman Banks led theAmerican Tech Workforce Actin the 117thCongress.