Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Senator Proposes Raising H-1B Salary Threshold to Nearly $140,000
A U.S. senator has proposed changing a rule for some companies that hire workers from other countries.
These companies generally have to try to hire American workers before sponsoring more H-1B workers.
But they can avoid that step if an H-1B worker earns at least $60,000 or has a master's degree or higher.
The $60,000 amount has stayed the same since 1998.
Senator Jon Husted says the old amount lets companies get around the rule.
His bill would replace it with an amount equal to twice a national wage measure.
That would make the threshold nearly $140,000 today, and it would rise as wages change.
Supporters say H-1B visas help employers find specialized workers, while critics say the program can harm American workers.
Sen. Jon Husted introduced the Protecting American Workers Through H-1B Modernization Act.
The bill would replace the fixed $60,000 salary exemption with a threshold set at twice the National Average Wage Index.
The proposed change applies to H-1B-dependent employers, which generally must first seek American workers before sponsoring additional H-1B employees.
The current $60,000 threshold was established in 1998 and has not been adjusted for inflation or wage growth.
The National Average Wage Index is now nearly $70,000, making the proposed threshold nearly $140,000.
- Who
- Republican U.S. Senator Jon Husted of Ohio introduced the bill.
- What
- The bill would replace the $60,000 H-1B salary exemption with a threshold equal to twice the Social Security Administration's National Average Wage Index.
- When
- The bill was introduced on Tuesday; the article does not provide a calendar date.
- Where
- Washington, United States.
- Why
- Husted says the existing threshold, unchanged since 1998, lets some H-1B-dependent employers avoid requirements to seek American workers first.
Supporters
Critics
Effect of the H-1B program
Supporters
Supporters say H-1B visas help U.S. employers obtain specialized talent that may be difficult to find domestically.
Critics
Critics say parts of the program can be used to bring in foreign workers at the expense of American employees.
Husted's proposed threshold
Supporters
Husted says tying the threshold to the wage index would close an outdated loophole and help ensure American workers are considered first.
Critics
The article gives no specific response from opponents to Husted's bill or its proposed formula.
- Bill
- Protecting American Workers Through H-1B Modernization Act
- Sponsor
- Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican from Ohio
- Current salary exemption
- $60,000 annually, or a master's degree or higher
- Proposed formula
- Twice the Social Security Administration's National Average Wage Index
- Estimated proposed threshold
- Nearly $140,000, based on an index now near $70,000
- Threshold established
- 1998
- Employers affected
- H-1B-dependent employers, whose H-1B workers make up more than a specified share of their workforce