USF, Florida universities to pause hiring H-1B faculty until 2027

The Board of Governors voted on a measure that temporarily pauses Florida universities from hiring new faculty on H-1B visas. ORACLE GRAPHIC/THOMAS MARRS

The Florida Board of Governors approved an amended regulation on March 2 that temporarily paused hiring new H-1B visa employees across all state universities.

State universities, including USF, will not be able to hire any new employees using the H-1B visa program through January 5, 2027, according to Regulation 1.001.

H-1B visas allow “nonimmigrant aliens” to be hired for highly specialized work positions, such as university researchers and professors, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

USF employs 24 people on the H-1B visa, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

In September, President Donald Trump issued an executive order announcing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas. 

Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues said the amended regulation will give the BOG time to study the effect of the $100,000 fee and “quantify” its impact on Florida’s university system. 

Rodrigues said H-1B renewals are not subject to the $100,000 fee, which means university employees currently on the H-1B visa will not be affected.

“The guideline is, if you’re on campus now, you may remain on campus during the course of the pause,” Rodrigues said.

USF spokesperson Althea Johnson said that USF, as a state university, follows Florida laws and regulations established by the BOG.

“USF is working to determine the implementation process of the revision, which does not apply to existing employees,” Johnson said.

While the pause will not affect existing employees, some USF professors said the amended regulation intrudes on university autonomy and creates a hostile environment for professors on visas.

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Adriana Novoa, a professor of Latin American history at USF, said she is concerned about the directive to pause hiring professionals on H-1B visas in Florida universities.

“I don’t understand how a so-called conservative governor would be so intrusive in practices that traditionally, governments didn’t interfere,” Novoa said. “In Florida, universities are supposed to have independence from the legislature and politicians.”

Novoa said she finds this interference “appalling” because she believes universities should have autonomy in choosing who to hire.

“I don’t understand why the governor keeps getting [to] be intruding in the activities of the university,” Novoa said. “These visas have a purpose, you know.”

Novoa said she does not believe the amendment is beneficial to Florida universities, adding that “ignoring” how universities work for political purposes is degrading their quality.

“It really affects the reputation of the universities, and certainly that sends a bad message to those who come to study in the U.S. and perceive, through this bias, an anti-immigrant culture that will not make them feel welcome,” Novoa said.

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A USF professor on an H-1B visa said the amendment is distressing because international professors are scared to protest and thus do not have the power to change or object to the decision. 

The professor chose to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. 

“They’re not interested in giving us more security or more rights, or anything,” the professor said. “They’re only interested in playing these political games with people who are on this visa.”

The professor added that the amendment is not only concerning to professors and other employees on the H-1B visa, but is also unfair to anyone who relies on the university as a source of training, knowledge or expertise.

“When you try to interfere with faculty hiring, you’re interfering with everything the university does and all aspects of social life that the university improves,” they said.

And while current employees on H-1B visas will not be affected by the amendment, the professor said it creates a hostile personal and professional climate for them.

“People are not traveling,” they said. “People don’t want to leave their supporters. And we are obviously from transnational families, [so] we have families back home from wherever we’ve migrated.”

They said pausing the H-1B process for professors excludes international professors while also interfering with the student experience and education.

“You say you want the best and the brightest talent, and you want them to come and teach your students, but you’re essentially allowing people to discriminate on the basis of national origin,” they said.