Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

The order directs federal agencies to address the misuse of the H-1B non-immigrant visa program, which has been exploited to replace American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor, particularly in IT and STEM fields. It highlights the significant increase in foreign STEM workers from 1.2 million in 2000 to nearly 2.5 million in 2019, largely facilitated by the abuse of the H-1B visa. The order also raises concerns about the impact on American IT workers, with unemployment rates increasing from 1.98% in 2019 to 3.02% in 2025, and reports of American tech companies laying off local workers while hiring thousands of H-1B workers.