Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a freeze on new H‑1B visa applications at state colleges and universities through May 31, 2027, the Texas Tribune reported. The directive requires institutions to report details about current visa holders and to demonstrate efforts to recruit qualified Texans before seeking international hires. Exceptions may be granted only with written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission. University leaders warned the move will complicate recruitment of international faculty, researchers and staff at a time when institutions already face a higher federal fee for H‑1B petitions and uncertainty around visa rules. Higher education associations have said the new $100,000 fee for new H‑1B petitions introduced by the administration in 2025 already threatened academic hiring. The Texas action follows similar proposals in other states and could prompt legal and operational fights as campuses scramble to staff critical research and teaching positions. Institutions have noted that H‑1B hires are often used to attract highly specialized faculty and research talent that domestic applicant pools cannot easily replace.