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Florida Board of Governors poised to pass yearlong pause on hiring foreign faculty
February 27, 2026 at 5:58 PM EST
More than 500 foreigners were employed as of last year at Florida public and private universities under the program.
The panel that runs public universities in Florida is set to meet Monday to approve a one-year ban on hiring new foreign faculty through the H1-B visa system – a move critics said could harm research and education in the state.
The popular visa program, established in 1990, allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals with highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree. More than 500 foreigners were employed as of last year at Florida public and private universities under the program.
The decision in Florida was the latest example of Republicans tightening immigration policies as part of President Donald Trump's "America First" campaign platforms that also included mass deportations, increasing visa fees, revoking temporary safe-haven status and restricting legal immigration pathways.
The Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, was responding to criticism by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who in October urged the board to “pull the plug” on H1-B visas during a press conference at the University of South Florida. Most of the board members were appointed by DeSantis, who has regularly warned against universities trying to impose progressive ideology on students.
DeSantis cited associate professors and administrative jobs in Florida held by citizens from China and an assistant swim coach from Spain. Other university jobs were held by citizens of Poland, Canada, Albania, Trinidad or the United Kingdom, he said.
“Are you kidding me, we can’t produce an assistant swim coach from this country?” DeSantis asked. He added, “Why aren’t we producing math and engineering folks who can do this?”
Texas in January ordered a similar freeze. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state universities and agencies to table H-1B visa hirings through May 2027.
Critics of a temporary freeze on hiring said it could hinder research and educational efforts across Florida’s higher education institutions as talented job candidates with “exceptional minds” go elsewhere.
Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, said last month that a pause in H1-B visa hiring, which would last until Jan. 5, 2027, if approved, would permit time for a study of the cost of the program “as well as how the program is used by our universities.”
The halt would not affect existing employees hired under the H1-B program at Florida schools, only potential new hires. Other visa programs also would not be affected. H1-B visas are generally good for three years, with a possible three-year extension, for a maximum of six years.
ALSO READ: DeSantis wants universities to pull back on H-1B visas. What does this mean for Florida higher ed?
The chair of the board, Alan Levine, said the goal is to make an informed policy decision. He encouraged board members to consult with universities before the final vote. Some board members said temporarily suspending H1-B hiring may do more harm than good.
“We should collect data before pausing a process that is so critical to our system,” said Kimberly Dunn, a board member and associate professor at Florida Atlantic University.
Carson Dale, student body president of Florida State University and a BOG member, has raised concerns that the pause could impede universities’ ability to hire “exceptional minds” for faculty and research jobs.
“This regulation has the practical effect of excluding otherwise highly qualified candidates before individual merit can be assessed,” Dale said. “Temporarily closing access to that (international) talent pool materially constrains our ability to hire based on merit.”
Claims that the visa program is taking jobs away from Americans are overstated, said Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst for the Florida Immigration Coalition. He said the number of H1-B visas at the state’s universities is too small to have much of an impact.
“They’re not statistically significant,” said Kennedy, a doctoral student at Florida International University. “The impact of the H1-B visa is on the H1-B visa holder themself – having no protections.”
He said foreign employees in the program are often paid less than their American counterparts.
“The program needs reform and lends itself to labor exploitation,” Kennedy said. “It brings people here who are dependent on their job to avoid deportation, are unable to organize or join a union and are discouraged from speaking out.”
Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System, has said the board plans to study the pay issue during the hiring pause.
The University of Florida’s top lobbyist in Tallahassee, former Rep. Chuck Clemons, said universities are already discouraged from using the H1-B program due to a $100,000 application fee imposed under executive order signed by Trump in September.
“The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program,” the president’s order reads, “has undermined both our economic and national security, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.”
Clemons said, “We're not going to pay $100,000 to do an application, so it's basically priced us out of that particular market right now, so we just got to wait and see.”
He added, however, that the moratorium could curtail UF’s ability to fill openings for medical professionals.
“We need to hire around 200 medical doctors,” Clemons said. “If (the pool) is international, (the) filling of those positions is easier – if we're relying on just domestic doctors, it makes it harder to fill those positions.”
The executive action comes as many proposals in the Legislature on immigration policy have failed to gain much traction. Lawmakers are in session in Tallahassee until March 13.
They include:
A year ago, DeSantis and lawmakers reached a compromise on a set of sweeping immigration policies that put the governor in charge of a new state board of immigration enforcement, toughened punishments for crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally and required state and local governments to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at elizabethmaguire@ufl.edu.
The popular visa program, established in 1990, allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals with highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree. More than 500 foreigners were employed as of last year at Florida public and private universities under the program.
The decision in Florida was the latest example of Republicans tightening immigration policies as part of President Donald Trump's "America First" campaign platforms that also included mass deportations, increasing visa fees, revoking temporary safe-haven status and restricting legal immigration pathways.
The Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, was responding to criticism by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who in October urged the board to “pull the plug” on H1-B visas during a press conference at the University of South Florida. Most of the board members were appointed by DeSantis, who has regularly warned against universities trying to impose progressive ideology on students.
DeSantis cited associate professors and administrative jobs in Florida held by citizens from China and an assistant swim coach from Spain. Other university jobs were held by citizens of Poland, Canada, Albania, Trinidad or the United Kingdom, he said.
“Are you kidding me, we can’t produce an assistant swim coach from this country?” DeSantis asked. He added, “Why aren’t we producing math and engineering folks who can do this?”
Texas in January ordered a similar freeze. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state universities and agencies to table H-1B visa hirings through May 2027.
Critics of a temporary freeze on hiring said it could hinder research and educational efforts across Florida’s higher education institutions as talented job candidates with “exceptional minds” go elsewhere.
Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, said last month that a pause in H1-B visa hiring, which would last until Jan. 5, 2027, if approved, would permit time for a study of the cost of the program “as well as how the program is used by our universities.”
The halt would not affect existing employees hired under the H1-B program at Florida schools, only potential new hires. Other visa programs also would not be affected. H1-B visas are generally good for three years, with a possible three-year extension, for a maximum of six years.
ALSO READ: DeSantis wants universities to pull back on H-1B visas. What does this mean for Florida higher ed?
The chair of the board, Alan Levine, said the goal is to make an informed policy decision. He encouraged board members to consult with universities before the final vote. Some board members said temporarily suspending H1-B hiring may do more harm than good.
“We should collect data before pausing a process that is so critical to our system,” said Kimberly Dunn, a board member and associate professor at Florida Atlantic University.
Carson Dale, student body president of Florida State University and a BOG member, has raised concerns that the pause could impede universities’ ability to hire “exceptional minds” for faculty and research jobs.
“This regulation has the practical effect of excluding otherwise highly qualified candidates before individual merit can be assessed,” Dale said. “Temporarily closing access to that (international) talent pool materially constrains our ability to hire based on merit.”
Claims that the visa program is taking jobs away from Americans are overstated, said Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst for the Florida Immigration Coalition. He said the number of H1-B visas at the state’s universities is too small to have much of an impact.
“They’re not statistically significant,” said Kennedy, a doctoral student at Florida International University. “The impact of the H1-B visa is on the H1-B visa holder themself – having no protections.”
He said foreign employees in the program are often paid less than their American counterparts.
“The program needs reform and lends itself to labor exploitation,” Kennedy said. “It brings people here who are dependent on their job to avoid deportation, are unable to organize or join a union and are discouraged from speaking out.”
Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System, has said the board plans to study the pay issue during the hiring pause.
The University of Florida’s top lobbyist in Tallahassee, former Rep. Chuck Clemons, said universities are already discouraged from using the H1-B program due to a $100,000 application fee imposed under executive order signed by Trump in September.
“The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program,” the president’s order reads, “has undermined both our economic and national security, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.”
Clemons said, “We're not going to pay $100,000 to do an application, so it's basically priced us out of that particular market right now, so we just got to wait and see.”
He added, however, that the moratorium could curtail UF’s ability to fill openings for medical professionals.
“We need to hire around 200 medical doctors,” Clemons said. “If (the pool) is international, (the) filling of those positions is easier – if we're relying on just domestic doctors, it makes it harder to fill those positions.”
The executive action comes as many proposals in the Legislature on immigration policy have failed to gain much traction. Lawmakers are in session in Tallahassee until March 13.
They include:
- A Democratic measure to require immigration enforcement officers to display identification and restrict their use of face coverings.
- A Republican bill that would fine violators of immigration enforcement agreements and use the money to compensate victims of crimes by immigrants.
- A GOP bill to require commercial truck drivers to be lawful residents who speak English with fines of up to $50,000 for companies who hire drivers who don’t comply.
- A Democratic proposal to require all employers verify the eligibility of prospective workers through the federal E-Verify system.
- A Republican bill that would require supervisors of elections to verify the citizenship status of voters and mark driver’s licenses in Florida as “NC” for non-citizens.
A year ago, DeSantis and lawmakers reached a compromise on a set of sweeping immigration policies that put the governor in charge of a new state board of immigration enforcement, toughened punishments for crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally and required state and local governments to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at elizabethmaguire@ufl.edu.