NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has directed the state’s public universities to stop hiring employees on H-1B visas, calling the practice a “poor reflection” on the institutions and a misuse of taxpayer resources.
Announcing the order on Wednesday, DeSantis said the directive to the Florida Board of Governors aims to end what he described as “H-1B abuse” in higher education. “Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job,” he said. “We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions.”
The governor’s office cited examples of faculty and staff at state universities who were hired under the federal visa program, including a public policy professor from China, a psychologist from the United Kingdom, and athletic staff from Spain and Trinidad and Tobago. “Why do we need to bring someone from China to talk about public policy? We can do it with Florida residents or Americans,” DeSantis said.
The H-1B visa is a federal program that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialized occupations such as science, engineering, and education when qualified American workers are not available. The visas are issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and universities across the country routinely use them to recruit researchers and instructors in fields where domestic expertise is limited.
According to data cited by Newsweek, the University of Florida had more than 150 H-1B visa approvals and renewals this year, while other major state universities, including Florida State University and the University of South Florida, also employ foreign nationals under the program.
Critics argue that DeSantis’s directive could undermine the competitiveness of Florida’s higher-education system, which depends on international scholars and researchers for its global standing. Legal experts also note that because H-1B visas are federally regulated, the state’s ability to prohibit their use may be limited and could invite legal challenges.
The Florida governor has positioned the move as part of his broader effort to prioritize “Floridians first” in education and employment, echoing earlier actions targeting diversity and inclusion programs in the state’s universities.
University leaders have not yet issued a unified response to the directive, and it remains unclear how institutions will handle current H-1B employees or pending sponsorships.
If implemented in full, the order could impact hundreds of international educators and staff across Florida’s public universities and reshape hiring practices in one of the nation’s largest state education systems.
