DeSantis Orders Florida Universities to Halt H-1B Visa Hiring

TAMPA,  Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced during a press conference at the University of South Florida on Wednesday that he has directed the state’s Board of Governors to end the use of H-1B visas for hiring at public universities, prioritizing Florida residents and American citizens.

The move stems from audits uncovering program abuses, such as hiring Chinese nationals for public policy roles, amid federal restrictions under President Trump. DeSantis emphasized tapping underemployed American talent in academia, potentially reshaping hiring at institutions like the University of Florida and University of South Florida.

“Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job. We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions. That’s why I have directed the Florida Board of Governors to end this practice,” DeSantis stated in a post on X.

“Florida leads the nation in higher education, and thousands of highly qualified Americans graduate from our colleges and universities every year. If any universities are truly struggling to find U.S. citizens to fill their job openings, they ought to evaluate their academic programs to determine why they cannot produce graduates who can be hired for these positions.”

DeSantis added in a follow-up post on X, “Universities should be able to fill basic positions without resorting to H1B visas. If they need people to fill a certain job they are in a great position to structure their educational programs to fill that need with their own graduates.”

“These are not elite positions. The FL audit found H1Bs used for assistant athletic coaches and media relations specialists,” DeSantis said in response to criticism of his policy that it would shrink the pool of candidates.

DeSantis had previously criticized the H-1B visa program, calling it a “total scam” in the context of tech companies laying off American workers while hiring foreign labor