A Republican bill with 14 Republican cosponsors · See all 14 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The PAUSE Act of 2025 seeks to limit the issuance of visas and the provision of legal status under immigration laws until specific conditions are met. These conditions include changes to citizenship at birth, limitations on certain statuses, and restrictions on various public benefits. The bill also imposes a $100,000 fee on H-1B employer petitions. Additionally, it eliminates the Optional Practical Training Program and repeals the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
Yes
- Scored +4
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill allows states and localities more authority to deny access to public schools to certain aliens.
- Scored +3
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill reduces federal spending by restricting access to various social benefits and loans for non-citizens.
- Scored +2
Does this tighten control of the border?
The bill implements stricter controls on visa issuance and status adjustments.
The opposite· 3 of 13
- Scored -10
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill restricts visas, limits status adjustments, repeals the Diversity Visa program, and revokes existing applications.
- Scored -8
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?
The bill restricts birthright citizenship and narrows the categories of people eligible for status.
- Scored -7
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill removes access to critical social safety nets like SNAP, SSI, and WIC.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Restrictions on benefits for specific groups: The bill limits several benefits for certain aliens, which could impact various social programs. These include Medicare (Section 2, subsection a, 6, A), medical assistance for emergency conditions (Section 2, subsection a, 6, B), Supplemental Security Income (Section 2, subsection a, 6, C), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Section 2, subsection a, 6, D) (Section 2).
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Changes to financial assistance: The bill restricts access to specific financial aid, such as credits under the Internal Revenue Code (Section 2, subsection a, 6, E and F), loans under the Higher Education Act (Section 2, subsection a, 6, H), and loans or guarantees under the Small Business Act (Section 2, subsection a, 6, J) (Section 2).
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Denial of access to public schools: The bill includes a provision where states and localities are not prohibited from denying access to public schools to aliens present in the United States without lawful status (Section 2, subsection a, 1) (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Revocation of existing applications: For some aliens, the enactment of this bill would result in the revocation of their current applications for status and the refund of their paid fees (Section 2, subsection a, 2; Section 4, subsection a, 2; Section 5, subsection c, 2) (Section 2, Section 4, and Section 5).
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Impact on employment and education: The bill eliminates the Optional Practical Training Program, which prevents aliens present under certain nonimmigrant statuses from receiving employment authorization (Section 4) (Section 4).
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Increased costs for employers: Employers filing petitions for H-1B status would face a new fee of $100,000 (Section 3) (Section 3).
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Restrictions on citizenship and status: The bill limits citizenship at birth to children who have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (Section 2, subsection a, 3) (Section 2). It also limits the ability of certain aliens to be accorded status, including those categorized as Islamists, observers of Sharia law, or members/associates of the Chinese Communist Party or terrorist organizations (Section 2, subsection a, 5) (Section 2).
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Repeal of visa programs: The bill repeals the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (Section 5) (Section 5).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill restricts visas, limits status adjustments, repeals the Diversity Visa program, and revokes existing applications. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill removes access to critical social safety nets like SNAP, SSI, and WIC. Would students be better off under this? — The bill eliminates the Optional Practical Training Program and restricts student loans. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill limits visa issuances and status adjustments which often impact Hispanic communities. Would children be better off under this? — The bill restricts birthright citizenship and access to public education for certain children.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill implements stricter controls on visa issuance and status adjustments. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill restricts birthright citizenship and narrows the categories of people eligible for status. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill's restrictions on status and benefits may disproportionately affect diverse immigrant populations. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill restricts access to Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, and housing assistance.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes? — The bill limits access to medical assistance for emergency conditions under Medicaid. Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — The bill restricts access to Medicare benefits for certain non-citizens.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill reduces federal spending by restricting access to various social benefits and loans for non-citizens. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill prohibits the use of loans or loan guarantees under the Small Business Act for certain aliens. Is this likely to create jobs? — The $100,000 H-1B fee and termination of the OPT program create significant barriers to foreign talent hiring.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill restricts access to loans made or guaranteed under the Higher Education Act.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill allows states and localities more authority to deny access to public schools to certain aliens.
- 5/7/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/25/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/5/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/30/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/7/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/12/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/1/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/20/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Lauren BoebertRepublican · Colorado
Andy BiggsRepublican · Arizona
Josh BrecheenRepublican · Oklahoma
Sheri BiggsRepublican · South Carolina
Elijah CraneRepublican · Arizona
Byron DonaldsRepublican · Florida
Randy FineRepublican · Florida
Paul GosarRepublican · Arizona
Brandon GillRepublican · Texas
Diana HarshbargerRepublican · Tennessee
Barry MooreRepublican · Alabama
Troy NehlsRepublican · Texas
Andrew OglesRepublican · Tennessee
Keith SelfRepublican · Texas