Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Aug. 18, 2026, announced a proposal to ban all H-1B visa workers from Texas public schools, a move that would affect 271 current visa-holding educators in the state. Speaking at a campaign event hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, Abbott said he wants zero school employees to hold H-1B status. The ban would apply to both current holders and future applicants, according to the Texas Tribune and Newsweek.
The proposal and its scope
The Texas Legislature must pass implementing legislation before the ban can take effect. The next legislative session begins in January 2027, and as of late August 2026, no bill text had been filed, the Latin Times reported. Abbott's January 2026 directive froze new H-1B visa petitions at state agencies and public universities, but that order did not apply to K-12 districts, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted. The new K-12 ban is a separate legislative proposal.
Abbott paired the H-1B ban with a second proposal: prohibiting public schools from accepting gifts or entering partnerships or financial agreements with foreign governments, mirroring rules already in place for Texas public universities, according to his campaign website.
Districts that rely on H-1B teachers
Dallas ISD alone employed 171 current H-1B visa holders, more than any other public school district or public university in Texas, Education Week reported, citing federal data. The district has about 10,000 teachers total. Other Texas districts with high numbers of H-1B approvals in 2024 included Harmony Public Schools (74), Houston ISD (43), Austin ISD (14), Beeville ISD (13), International Leadership of Texas (13), Midland ISD (13), Newman International Academy (11), Presidio ISD (11), Alief ISD (8), and Splendora ISD (8), according to data from the Houston Chronicle and Statesman.
Dallas ISD issued a statement saying it hires educators from abroad only to fill critical shortages identified by the Texas Education Agency, and each of those teachers is certified by the TEA. The district added that if the governor's expectation is to eliminate these teachers, then more Texans are needed in the teaching pipeline, the Texas Tribune reported.
How other states use international teachers
Texas is not alone in its reliance on H-1B teachers. An NEA analysis of USCIS data found that over 500 U.S. public school districts collectively employed more than 2,300 H-1B visa holders in FY2025. North Carolina had 213 H-1B educators, and California had 195. Georgia, Alaska, Arizona, and Minnesota each employed over 100.
In North Carolina, Halifax County Schools has 109 international teachers out of 156 total, with 75 on H-1B visas and the rest on J-1 visas, making international teachers the majority of staff, The Assembly NC reported. The state also has nearly 3,700 J-1 visa teachers. North Carolina ranks 43rd nationally in teacher pay, contributing to chronic rural vacancies.
California's Department of Education reported that in the 2024-25 school year, 110 local educational agencies submitted 403 H-1B teacher work visa requests; 371 were granted and 32 denied, a 92 percent approval rate. California has a formal pathway enacted in 2017 for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to evaluate foreign credential equivalence.
Alaska's remote Bering Strait School District had 35 H-1B approvals and Lower Kuskokwim School District had 20 in FY2025, among the highest concentrations in rural America, Education Week reported. Kodiak Island Borough School District, with 2,000 students, employs 30 international teachers, many on H-1B visas, and organized a recruiting trip to the Philippines with four other Alaska districts.
The J-1 visa alternative
The J-1 visa Teacher Exchange Program is uncapped and allows foreign teachers to work in U.S. K-12 schools for up to three years with no path to permanent residency. Between 2016 and 2023, J-1 teacher numbers grew 154 percent, according to LegalClarity. Six states hosted more than 2,000 each: North Carolina, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona, and California. Several Texas districts, including San Antonio's Southwest ISD and North East ISD, use J-1 visas as an alternative to H-1B.
In North Carolina, Cumberland County school district employs 526 international teachers, all on J-1 visas, more than any other district in the state. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has nearly 300 J-1 teachers. Both districts use J-1 because it is less costly and administered by third-party sponsors, The Assembly NC reported.
Evidence on alternatives to H-1B hiring
Abbott pointed to the state's Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program as an existing tool for recruiting and retaining teachers locally. A recent report on TIA, cited by Education Week, found the program slightly improved teacher retention in participating districts but did not appear to help the highest-needs schools. The limits of that finding were not detailed in the source.
The NEA analysis noted that the exact total of H-1B educators nationally is unknown because visas last three years with possible extension, and the data only captures approvals in a single year. The analysis excluded charter schools.
In September 2025, President Trump announced a new $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, up from approximately $2,000 to $5,000. The fee was subsequently suspended by a federal judge. Education organizations, unions, and bipartisan lawmakers raised concerns the fee would worsen teacher shortages, and a lawsuit was filed by a coalition representing education, union, religious, and nonprofit interests, K-12 Dive reported.