US H-1B Visa Salary Threshold Hike: America Proposes $140,000 Pay Limit From $60,000 – Check New Bill Details, Indian Workers’ Impact, Eligibility Rules, Employer Requirements & More

US H-1B Visa Salary Threshold Hike: The United States has mooted a legislative amendment that may change the rules of the H-1B visa for some foreign nationals, including Indian workers in the US technology industry. The proposal would raise a key salary threshold from $60,000 to roughly $140,000 per year, possibly altering how companies that rely heavily on H-1B workers comply with worker-protection requirements. But the proposed figure is not a minimum salary for all H-1B visa holders. Here are some things Indian professionals, prospective applicants and US employers need to know about the proposed legislation. 

US H-1B Visa Salary Threshold Hike: What Is the Proposed H-1B Visa Salary Threshold Hike in the US?

Republican lawmakers in the United States have proposed raising a key H-1B salary threshold from $60,000 to approximately $140,000 per year under the Protecting American Workers Through H-1B Modernisation Act. The legislation, introduced by Representative Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, seeks to change the compensation level at which certain H-1B workers qualify for an exemption from additional requirements imposed on H-1B-dependent employers. Senator Jon Husted of Ohio has introduced a similar measure in the Senate. The existing $60,000 threshold dates back to 1998 and has not been adjusted since. The proposed change would replace this fixed amount with a wage-linked formula, meaning the threshold could change as average wages in the United States change. 

Why Do US Lawmakers Want to Increase the H-1B Salary Threshold?

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen protections for American workers and prevent companies that rely heavily on foreign employees from bypassing certain hiring safeguards. Under the existing rules, H-1B-dependent employers must comply with additional requirements intended to protect US workers, including making the required efforts to recruit qualified American employees for relevant positions. However, certain H-1B workers are exempt from these additional obligations if they earn at least $60,000 annually or hold a US master’s degree or a higher qualification. Supporters of the proposed bill argue that the salary threshold has become outdated because it has remained unchanged for nearly three decades despite rising wages. By linking the threshold to the Social Security Administration’s National Average Wage Index, lawmakers aim to make the exemption reflect prevailing wage trends more closely.