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H-1B demand rises in Texas: Why foreign-worker demand is rising even as filings fall across most of the US
H-1B labor filings increased significantly in Republican-held Texas districts from fiscal 2019 to 2025, despite a nationwide decline.
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H-1B labor filings have surged in several Republican-held suburban congressional districts in Texas even as demand for the foreign-worker program declined across most of the United States between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2025, according to a new analysis of federal labor data cited by Newsweek.
The analysis by LayoffHedge examined 6.9 million Labor Condition Applications, or LCAs, filed with the US Department of Labor. It found that the eight congressional districts with the fastest growth in H-1B demand during the six-year period were all represented by Republicans in Texas.
Texas suburbs emerge as H-1B hotspots
LCAs are required before an employer can petition for an H-1B worker. They show employer demand for foreign skilled labor but do not represent final H-1B visa approvals or the number of individual workers receiving visas.
Across the 243 congressional districts included in the analysis, fewer than one in four recorded an increase in filings between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2025.
The median Democratic-held district saw filings fall 30%, while the median Republican-held district recorded an 18% decline.
Texas stood out from that pattern.
Ten of the 20 fastest-growing districts were located in Texas, while 15 of the top 20 were represented by Republicans.
The sharpest increase came in Texas' 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Keith Self. Certified filings climbed 242%, from 1,388 in fiscal 2019 to 4,748 in fiscal 2025.
In the 26th District, represented by Republican Brandon Gill, filings increased 217%, rising from 2,010 to 6,374.
Other Texas districts also posted substantial gains. Filings rose 145% in the 31st District, 126% in the 10th, 69% in the 22nd, 58% in the 8th, 48% in the 21st and 47% in the 4th.
What the H-1B filing numbers show
The figures reflect employer demand rather than the final number of foreign workers entering or remaining in the United States through the H-1B program.
Employers use H-1B visas to hire foreign professionals for specialty occupations, including technology, engineering, healthcare, finance and scientific research. An employer must generally submit an LCA to the Labor Department before filing an H-1B petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The visa is generally issued for up to three years and can be extended under certain circumstances.
The Texas growth is particularly notable because it comes as the federal government has pursued changes to the H-1B system under President Donald Trump.
The administration has moved to alter how H-1B selections are made, introduced additional screening requirements and proposed changes affecting workers who lose their jobs. A proposed $100,000 fee on certain new overseas H-1B petitions also faced legal challenges.
Texas has also moved to restrict H-1B hiring
The surge in private-sector H-1B filings comes alongside a separate move by Texas officials to restrict new H-1B hiring by state agencies and public universities.
Governor Greg Abbott ordered Texas state agencies and public universities to freeze the initiation and filing of new H-1B petitions. The directive is scheduled to remain in effect through May 31, 2027, unless the Texas Workforce Commission grants written approval.
That order does not cover all private employers in Texas, meaning companies outside the state government and public university systems can continue to seek H-1B workers subject to federal rules.
