#state-workforce

#state-workforce

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is ordering state agencies and public universities in Texas to halt new petitions for H-1B visas. In a letter to Texas state agency heads on Tuesday, Abbott wrote that there had been "recent reports of abuse" in the program, which is designed to bring high-skilled foreign workers to the United States. "Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education collectively employ hundreds of thousands of Texans and have a significant role in shaping the State's labor market," Abbott wrote.

Scott created an advisory group of state leaders to hash out the logistics of the policy change. Among the lingering questions: how to handle government employees who live out of state, a population that's grown since the Covid-19 pandemic normalized remote work for many. Administration officials said they have not yet figured out how to handle the hybrid schedule for out-of-state workers.