Texas H-1B visa freeze leaves international students facing uncertain future

Texas international students are grappling with new uncertainty about their career prospects after Gov. Greg Abbott announced a freeze on H-1B visa petitions for state universities and agencies at the end of January.

The directive, which runs through May, requires state institutions to obtain Texas Workforce Commission approval before processing new work visa applications. Abbott framed the move as prioritizing “Texas jobs for Texas employers and employees,” requiring agencies to demonstrate they gave equal opportunities to qualified American citizens before selecting H-1B visa holders.

For international students at St. Edward’s University and across the state, the announcement has added another layer of complexity to an already meticulous post-graduation process.

Immigration attorney Jason Finkelman said both workers and employers have contacted him in the days after Abbott’s announcement with concerns about the freeze. While the directive specifically targets public state universities and certain state agencies, its implications have created widespread anxiety among Texas’s international workforce.

“I imagine the universities are going to push back on that pretty strongly because the intent of the university is to bring over the best and brightest talent,” Finkelman said. “I don’t understand why we would not do that.”

Finkelman emphasized that H-1B opportunities remain available elsewhere in Texas. “You can still get an H-1B in Texas with anywhere else. You can still be employed … if you have any other opportunity in Texas, fine. It was just specific to that,” he said.

However, the long-term consequences for Texas higher education concern him. Individuals worry about losing their jobs, and employers fear their H-1B employees will simply relocate to other states once their visas end.

“Those researchers and professors are just going to go to other U.S. universities,” Finkelman said. “So we’re going to lose the talent we need here for universities, which is going to contribute to our downfall as being leaders in the face of higher education.”

However, St. Edward’s International Student Services anticipates minimal direct impact on most of its students. 

“The majority of our F-1 visa students who apply for H-1B are generally seeking H-1B sponsorship from private companies/corporations, not from Texas public universities or state agencies,” said Jacob Harris, an ISS representative. “Therefore I don’t believe this change will affect many of our students’ plans.”

Still, for those who had considered public sector careers, the announcement requires a shift in strategy. 

“International students seeking employment with public Texas universities and state agencies will need to reconsider their employment visa plans with this new policy, perhaps conferring with an immigration attorney about other employment visa options that may be available to them,” Harris noted.

To prepare students for post-graduation employment, St. Edward’s offers comprehensive support. ISS provides Canvas courses on Curricular Practical Training and Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorizations, hosting an F-1 Employment Workshop each semester. Career and Professional Development collaborates on these efforts, offering services including Handshake job searches, resume reviews, mock interviews and semester job fairs connecting international students with on-campus positions, internships and full-time opportunities.

For students on F-1 visas, the typical pathway involves OPT, which allows work in their field for 12 months after graduation or up to 36 months for STEM majors. Many use this period to secure H-1B sponsorship from employers.

The broader impact extends across Texas higher education. 

“This will also likely affect public Texas universities who are accustomed to using the H-1B program to host professors, scholars and researchers on their campuses,” Harris said.

As the May deadline approaches, the policy creates ripple effects throughout Austin’s academic and professional landscape, even as private institutions like St. Edward’s remain outside its direct scope.