The pathway for Nigerian professionals to live and work in the United States faces an existential threat as a new legislative proposal seeks to permanently abolish the H-1B visa program. In what could be the final nail in the coffin for the “Japa” ambitions of thousands of African tech experts and medical practitioners, Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida has introduced the “Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions (EXILE) Act.” The bill, unveiled on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, aims to completely eliminate the visa category that has long been the primary route for skilled foreign workers to enter the American workforce.
Representative Steube argued that the H-1B program has been weaponized against American citizens, claiming it allows corporations to prioritize cheaper foreign labor over homegrown talent. In a statement released to the press, the lawmaker insisted that the United States cannot preserve the “American Dream” for its own children while “forfeiting their share to non-citizens.” If passed, the EXILE Act would not merely reform the system but would dismantle the entire framework that allows U.S. companies to sponsor foreign talent in specialty occupations like engineering, information technology, and healthcare.
This legislative “nuclear option” comes amidst a broader crackdown on legal immigration by the Trump administration and its allies in Congress. It complements recent administrative moves, including the imposition of a staggering $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions and wage-based selection criteria designed to price out average applicants. Other conservative heavyweights, including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Chip Roy, have voiced similar support for freezing or ending the program, signaling a coordinated effort to shut the door on foreign professionals.
For the Nigerian diaspora and the teeming youth population back home, the implications are dire. The H-1B visa has historically been the golden ticket for top graduates from African universities to access the global economy. Immigration experts warn that while the bill must still pass through committee review and a full vote, its mere introduction—and the support it is garnering—marks a dangerous shift toward a “zero-tolerance” policy on economic migration. As the debate heats up in Washington, the message to the world is increasingly hostile: the era of the open door may be officially over.
