Cotton Introduces Bill to End H-1B Visa Loophole for Universities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Caroline TablerorPatrick McCann(202) 224-2353July 31, 2025
Cotton Introduces Bill to End H-1B Visa Loophole for Universities
Washington, DC— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Colleges for the American People (CAP Act), which would remove the H1-B visa cap exemption for foreigners employed by colleges and universities.
Under current law, foreign professors hired by colleges and universities are exempt from the Department of State’s permitted 65,000 H-1B specialty-occupation visas—allowing them to hire an unlimited number of foreign workers. The CAP Act would require all prospective university hires to compete for an H-1B visa under the standard 65,000-visa cap. Congressman Tom Tiffany (Wisconsin-07) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“College and universities shouldn’t get special treatment to bring in more woke administrators and professors from around the world. In addition to securing our southern border, it’s also past time to fix our broken legal immigration system. Getting rid of this loophole is a good place to start,”said Senator Cotton.
“Instead of importing foreign labor, American universities need to invest in developing their own students for roles in leadership and teaching. The CAP Act makes sure American graduates get those opportunities,”said Congressman Tom Tiffany.
Text of the bill can be foundhere.
The Colleges for American People Act would: