executive_orderEvent Friday, September 18, 2026Analyzed

Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

Bearish

Summary

This proclamation extends for an additional 12 months the existing restriction on entry of H-1B nonimmigrant workers, which requires a $100,000 payment per petition (with limited exceptions) and is supported by a DHS weighted selection process that prioritizes higher-skilled, higher-paid workers. The action continues to target IT staffing and outsourcing firms that have abused the program, and it maintains the requirement for ongoing rulemakings by DHS and DOL to further reform wage protections and program integrity.

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Key Takeaways

  • 1.Extension of entry restriction requiring a $100,000 payment for H-1B petitions (with limited exceptions) until September 21, 2027.
  • 2.DHS weighted selection process that prioritizes allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens.
  • 3.DOL proposed rule to improve wage protections and align prevailing wage levels with wages paid to comparable American workers.
  • 4.Continued reduction in H-1B registrations from large IT outsourcing firms (92% decrease) and shift toward higher-skilled workers.
  • 5.Ongoing rulemaking and complementary efforts to reform the H-1B program and assist with cost-recovery for immigration program administration.

Market Implications

The extension of H-1B restrictions will continue to reduce the supply of low-cost foreign tech labor, increasing costs for IT outsourcing firms and potentially benefiting domestic workers and high-wage tech employers.

Full Analysis

The extension of H-1B restrictions will continue to reduce the supply of low-cost foreign tech labor, increasing costs for IT outsourcing firms and potentially benefiting domestic workers and high-wage tech employers.

Related Presidential Actions

Executive orders & memoranda affecting the same sectors or companies

Exec OrderSep 18, 2026

Enhancing Program Integrity and Integrity and Interagency Coordination in the Administration of the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program

This executive order directs the Secretaries of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to coordinate with Commerce, Education, and the SBA when processing H-1B petitions, and requires them to consider whether the employer has engaged in layoffs of similarly situated U.S. workers within the past year. It also orders the Labor Department to review past labor condition applications for potential enforcement actions against sponsoring employers, effectively tightening scrutiny on H-1B usage, especially by outsourcing firms.

proclamationSep 18, 2026

Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

This proclamation extends for an additional 12 months the existing restriction on entry of H-1B nonimmigrant workers, which requires a $100,000 payment per petition (with limited exceptions) and is supported by a DHS weighted selection process that prioritizes higher-skilled, higher-paid workers. The action continues to target IT staffing and outsourcing firms that have abused the program, and it maintains the requirement for ongoing rulemakings by DHS and DOL to further reform wage protections and program integrity.

Exec OrderSep 17, 2026

RESTORING AMERICAN SALTWATER ANGLING AND RECREATION

This executive order directs federal agencies (primarily NOAA and the Department of Commerce) to shift fisheries management toward prioritizing recreational fishing over commercial interests by modernizing data collection, replacing outdated mail-in surveys with real-time mobile reporting, and allowing state-collected data to substitute for federal data when error rates are lower. It also mandates reviewing and potentially revising National Standards under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, rescinding regulations that restrict marine access, and launching pilot programs for iconic fisheries like Atlantic striped bass, with the goal of boosting the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation sector.

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