Florida Universities Consider One Year Pause On New Foreign Worker Hires
The Florida Board of Governors has advanced a proposal to suspend the hiring of new international employees on H-1B visas at the state’s public universities until January 2027. During a meeting held on Thursday, the body overseeing the State University System moved forward with a “notice of intent” to implement the moratorium, with a final vote scheduled for February 23.
The proposed regulation would direct university boards of trustees to prohibit the use of the H-1B visa program for procuring new personnel through January 5, 2027. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant classification that allows United States employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Governor Ron DeSantis urged the board to take this action, citing concerns that the visa program potentially displaces qualified American workers and may be utilized to hire employees at wages below market rates. In response to the Governor’s request, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues indicated that during the pause, officials would conduct a comprehensive study on the costs associated with the H-1B program and analyze salary data to determine if foreign hires are being compensated comparably to their domestic counterparts.
“We will look at the salaries of employees in the university who are on H-1B to determine if those faculty members’ pay is comparable to what the market pay is,” Rodrigues stated during the meeting. The pause would strictly apply to new hires and would not affect current employees already working under valid H-1B status.
The proposal has generated significant objections from academic representatives who argue the freeze could damage the state’s ability to compete for top-tier global talent. Kimberly Dunn, a faculty representative and accounting professor at Florida Atlantic University, warned that the policy could hinder recruitment in critical fields. “Whether it’s a pediatric cancer surgeon or globally recognized researcher, these individuals directly contribute to Floridians’ health, safety, and economic success. In many cases, the H-1B visa is the only viable pathway for bringing this level of expertise to our state,” Dunn said.
Carson Dale, the student representative on the Board of Governors, cast the sole dissenting vote against the measure. Dale argued that the moratorium would place Florida at a disadvantage compared to other university systems, noting that highly skilled candidates would likely accept positions in other states rather than wait for Florida to lift its suspension. “Top tier candidates are not going to pause their careers to wait on a single state,” Dale remarked.
This move follows earlier legislative measures in Florida, specifically Senate Bill 846, which already restricts public universities from interacting with or accepting grants from entities in specific “countries of concern,” including China, Iran, and Venezuela. Data indicates that the University of Florida and Florida State University are among the highest utilizers of the H-1B program in the state system, with UF approving over 250 recipients in the 2025 fiscal year.
alligator.org
wusf.org
cltampa.com
newsday.com
asianews.network
ufl.edu
campusreform.org
wusf.org
nas.org
