The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's university system, approved a freeze on Monday, putting a pause on hiring new faculty through the federal H-1B program until Jan. 5, 2027.
Board member Kimberly Dunn and student representative Carson Dale dissented.
Employers use the program to hire foreign professionals with at least a bachelor's degree when positions are hard to fill with U.S.-born workers.
The H-1B visa is valid up to three years and can be extended for another three years.
Renewals for H-1B visas will not be affected, state officials said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also directed college and agencies in his state to pause hiring H-1B visa holders through May 2027.
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The moratorium follows Gov. Ron DeSantis' criticisms of the H-1B program last fall. He pointed to employers who use the program to hire foreign workers at lower wages than U.S.-born workers.
Connor O'Brien, a fellow at the non-partisan think tank Institute for Progress (IFP), said he recognized the concerns, but worried the hiring freeze goes too far.
"The H-1B has long been abused by IT outsourcing firms sponsoring middle skill workers for underwhelming pay," said O'Brien, "Unfortunately, the proposal, as currently written, would go much further than trimming back the questionable uses of the visa at state schools."
O'Brien pushed for an exception for researchers, scientists and physicians, pointing out how a ban could affect medical institutions like University of Florida Health.
"Even if it is just a one year pause, I think that that sends a message to people looking at Florida, that it's not going to be a place that they can count on to be able to come and work."Student representative Carson Dale
According to a records request obtained by IFP, O'Brien said at least 315 of the 1,300 H-1B petitions approved between 2017 and 2022 were for physicians, PhD scientists or STEM faculty.
Chancellor of the State University System Ray Rodriguez said exceptions to the pause can be made if a critical shortage of workers is identified.
"Under our existing processes of emergency regulations, we could turn around a response in 72 hours. I'm confident we can react to anything that would endanger access, health, welfare, safety of our students," said Rodriguez.
Student representative Carson Dale said he worries the move can damage Florida's reputation.
"Even if it is just a one year pause, I think that that sends a message to people looking at Florida, that it's not going to be a place that they can count on to be able to come and work," said Dale.
Board member Dunn also voiced her concerns during the meeting.
"I appreciate all the work that's been done to lighten the impact that this regulation change will have on our institutions, but I'm still concerned about the lasting effect on our reputation and on our ability to recruit the best faculty in the world," said Dunn.
More than 600 H-1B visa holders were employed in Florida's public universities as of last fiscal year, according to federal data.
The University of Florida employs the most H-1B visa holders among the state's public institutions, with 253.
The University of Miami, a private institution, has 146 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the University of South Florida employed 107 last fiscal year.
Rodriguez said they intend to root out any misuse in the H-1B system during the freeze.
He also pointed out the state will have to assess the impact of the $100,000 fee for new H-1B applicants, a change implemented by the Trump administration last year.
