Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent crackdown on H-1B visas leaves the future of academics at UF hanging in the balance.
An H-1B visa allows American employers to hire college-educated foreign citizens for up to six years, during which the employees can apply for permanent residency.
UF employs the largest number of people under the H-1B visa program among all Florida public universities. This fiscal year, the university approved 253 H-1B visas, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services figures updated this week.
But DeSantis called to “pull the plug” on these visas during an Oct. 29 news conference, citing a need to put American workers first.
The H-1B visa program allows employers to temporarily employ qualified international individuals when U.S.-based supply is low, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
“If any universities are truly struggling to find U.S. citizens to fill their job openings, they ought to evaluate their academic programs to determine why they cannot produce graduates who can be hired for these positions,” Desantis wrote in an X post that same day.
Somnath Datta, a UF biostatistics professor, said it would be hard to fill the spots current UF H-1B visa faculty members hold. There might not be enough qualified American candidates to be hired into their positions, he said.
“I’m not sure if it can be implemented in all areas, simply because there may not be enough American candidates,” Datta said.
The biostatistics department is already looking for candidates to fill empty spaces, he said, so without current H-1B visa holders, departments like his might be left even emptier.
These candidates are hired based on qualifications, not visa status, Datta said.
“I’m not going to worry about it unless we are specifically told not to even look at candidates who are not U.S. citizens,” he said.
A prospective shakeup to the H-1B visa program extends to the federal level. On Sept. 19, President Donald Trump said he would enact cost restrictions for H-1B workers’ entry, arguing the visa system has been abused and prioritized foreign employees over Americans. The Trump Administration hasn’t announced when the new regulations will go into effect.
Speaking about Florida institutions, DeSantis called on the Florida Board of Governors to crack down on the visa program so Americans could be considered for jobs first.
DeSantis posted on X saying he wanted to end the practice of “importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job.”
A state audit found H-1B visas have been used for assistant athletic coaches and media relations specialist positions, DeSantis said in another post on X.
UF Interim President Donald Landry spoke at the news conference, saying visas were primarily used in exceptional cases at UF, like an occasional “bright light” that would be “good enough for the faculty.” He added the university is currently conducting a review of H-1B visas.
"We know that H-1B is not handled in a pristine fashion, even in academia, certainly not in business," Landry said.
Meera Sitharam, president of UF’s chapter of United Faculty of Florida, said she’s against DeSantis’ policy and thinks what he’s attempting is illegal.
“The U.S. won’t be the U.S. anymore,” Sitharam said. “The patriotic anti-immigrant American is an oxymoron.”
Despite DeSantis’ announcement, Sitharam’s colleagues who are working under H-1B visas are not worried, she said. International students at UF looking for academic jobs rarely want to work in Florida after they graduate, she said.
Sitharam also isn’t worried about the friction between foreign and domestic workers in academia, as U.S. institutions tend to hire foreign workers under H-1B status only if they demonstrate “exceptional ability” among their competition, she added.
“It will be more or less impossible to say ‘you are taking American jobs,’” Sitharam said.
Austin Britton, co-president of the university’s graduate student union, UF Graduate Assistants United, said pulling H-1B visa programs would heavily impact the campus and the community at large.
“This statement is just another inflammatory, racist statement designed to distract from the fact that the Florida statehouse refuses to address any real issues facing the state, while working tirelessly to hurt unions and international residents who only are here to get an education and give back,” Britton said.
GAU Co-president Cassie Urbenz said people under H-1B visas don't just provide labor. They’re integrated into their communities, and they did the work necessary to come to America, she added.
But GAU isn’t worried about DeSantis’ announcement, Urbenz said. Equipped with legal protection and in constant communication with its members, the group is prepared to fight back, she said.
“We’ll be communicating with our members as soon as we hear any updates from actual policy, not just Ron DeSantis getting on his high horse in a press conference,” Urbenz said.
The organization works with several members who live in the U.S. under the H-1B visa program. While Urbenz plans to keep a close eye on the announcement, she also said it would be legally impossible to carry out.
The move is simply another way to get foreigners to leave the U.S. while disregarding the law, she said.
“That’s all it is. It’s an announcement. No paperwork has been filed, no legislation has been filed, I haven’t seen anything that’s legally binding,” Urbenz said. “You can’t expel someone who’s legally here.”
The Board of Governors will meet at the University of South Florida Nov. 6. As of Nov. 2, the agenda doesn’t address H-1B visas.
Contact Angelique Rodriguez at arodriguez@alligator.org. Follow her on X @angeliquesrod.
Angelique is a first-year journalism major and the Fall 2025 graduate school reporter. In her free time, she'll probably be reading, writing, hanging out with her friends or looking through the newest fashion runway shows on Vogue.
