Key immigration proposal vows to end 'backdoor hiring practices' in American universities

EXCLUSIVE: A new Republican proposal introduced on Wednesday would scrap the H-1B visa exception for higher education staff.

There is currently a 65,000-person cap for the visa, with exceptions for higher education and other select groups, including an extra 20,000 that can be doled out to those with master's degrees or beyond.

The "Colleges for the American People Act of 2025" from Rep. Tom Tiffany would repeal the carveout made in the Immigration and Nationality Act, and have those from other countries seeking to work in higher education go through the normal H-1B visa process.

"American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas," Tiffany said in a statement. "The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers."

The legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Georgia. 

Others, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, have blasted them as exploitative.

Besides H-1B visas, student visas in some cases have also recently come under fire, particularly at Harvard University. The State Department announced on Wednesday that they are looking into whether it can continue to be part of the Exchange Visitor Program due to "national security" concerns.