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2w ago

Florida Halts New H‑1B Hiring at Public Universities Through Early 2027

The board imposed a data‑gathering pause with a 72‑hour exception pathway for urgent health or safety needs.

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File photo, people arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in Miami. The number of applications for visas used in the technology industry soared for a second straight year, raising “serious concerns” that some are manipulating the system to gain an unfair advantage, authorities said Friday. There were 780,884 applications for H-1B visas in this year's computer-generated lottery, up 61% from 483,927 last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a message to “stakeholders.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visits a temporary migrant detention center informally known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Overview

  • The Florida Board of Governors voted 14–2 to bar new H‑1B hires across the 12‑campus State University System until January 5, 2027.
  • The restriction covers only prospective employees, and current H‑1B staff may continue working and renew their visas.
  • Chancellor Ray Rodrigues will review H‑1B usage and costs during the pause, including the impact of the federal $100,000 application fee instituted under President Donald Trump.
  • Officials said emergency exceptions can be approved within 72 hours for threats to access, health, welfare or safety, and no specific exception cases have been presented so far.
  • Faculty and student board representatives warned of recruiting and medical school disruptions; more than 600 H‑1B workers were employed last year at Florida publics, including 253 at the University of Florida, as the action follows Governor Ron DeSantis’s directive and parallels a Texas freeze.