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H.R. 6225House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

PAUSE Act of 2025

To provide for a limitation on the ability to issue any visa or provide any status under the immigration laws until certain conditions have been met.

Also known as Pausing on Admissions Until Security Ensured Act of 2025

Sponsored by Chip RoyRep. Chip Roy (R-TX)
Introduced November 20, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated December 11, 2025 at 7:31 AM UTC

The PAUSE Act of 2025 would stop the issuance of any U.S. visa or immigration status until a series of new conditions are satisfied, such as allowing states to deny public school access to undocumented people, limiting birthright citizenship, and barring certain foreign nationals and terrorist‑linked individuals. It also adds a $100,000 fee for employers filing H‑1B petitions, ends the Optional Practical Training (OPT) work program for students, and eliminates the Diversity Visa lottery. The bill applies to all foreign nationals seeking entry or status in the United States and requires refunds for fees paid by those whose applications are revoked under the new rules.

Key Provisions

  • No visa or immigration status can be granted until: states can deny school access to undocumented people; non‑immigrants cannot adjust to permanent residence; birthright citizenship is limited to children born in the U.S. with at least one U.S. citizen or permanent‑resident parent; only spouses or minor children of U.S. citizens or permanent residents may receive certain statuses; and persons identified as Islamists, Sharia observers, Chinese Communist Party members, known or suspected terrorists, or affiliates of foreign terrorist groups are barred.
  • Employers filing H‑1B petitions (including initial grants, extensions, or employer changes) must pay an additional $100,000 fee starting fiscal year 2026.
  • The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program is terminated: non‑immigrant students can no longer receive employment authorization after they stop full‑time study, and any pending OPT authorizations are revoked with fees refunded.
  • The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program is repealed, removing the lottery and revoking any pending DV selections, with refunds for fees paid.
  • A narrow exception allows visas or status under a specific category (section 101(a)(15)(B)(ii)) to be issued despite the general prohibition.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

November 20, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

November 20, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

November 20, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued November 20, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 6225

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 20, 2025

Mr. Roy (for himself, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Mr. Self, Mr. Ogles, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Gill of Texas, Mr. Fine, and Mr. Crane) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To provide for a limitation on the ability to issue any visa or provide any status under the immigration laws until certain conditions have been met.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Pausing on Admissions Until Security Ensured Act of 2025 or as the PAUSE Act of 2025.

2.

Limitation

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, but except as provided in subsection (c), no alien may be issued a visa or provided any status under the immigration laws, until the immigration laws provide that—

(1)

States and localities are not prohibited from denying access to public schools to aliens present in the United States without lawful status under the immigration laws;

(2)

no nonimmigrant may adjust status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence;

(3)

citizenship at birth is only available to a child who—

(A)

is born in the United States; and

(B)

has at least one parent who is—

(i)

a citizen of the United States; or

(ii)

an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residency in the United States;

(4)

no alien may be accorded any status under section 201(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act unless that alien is—

(A)

the spouse or minor child of a United States citizen; or

(B)

the spouse or minor child of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residency;

(5)

no alien may be accorded any lawful status under the immigration laws if that alien is—

(A)

an Islamist;

(B)

an observer of Sharia law;

(C)

a member or associate of the Chinese Communist Party;

(D)

a known or suspected terrorist;

(E)

a known or suspected member of a foreign terrorist organization; or

(F)

a person who is affiliated with any foreign terrorist organization; and

(6)

no alien may be provided—

(A)

any benefit payable under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (relating to the medicare program);

(B)

medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act (or any successor program to such title) for care and services that are necessary for the treatment of an emergency medical condition (as defined in section 1903(v)(3) of such Act) of the alien involved and are not related to an organ transplant procedure, if the alien involved otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for medical assistance under the State plan approved under such title (other than the requirement of the receipt of aid or assistance under title IV of such Act, supplemental security income benefits under title XVI of such Act, or a State supplementary payment);

(C)

any benefit under the supplemental security income program under title XVI of the Social Security Act, including supplementary payments pursuant to an agreement for Federal administration under section 1616(a) of the Social Security Act and payments pursuant to an agreement entered into under section 212(b) of Public Law 93–66;

(D)

any benefit under the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);

(E)

any credit under section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(F)

any credit under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(G)

any benefit under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);

(H)

a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.);

(I)

any benefit under any program for housing or community development assistance or financial assistance administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, any program under title V of the Housing Act of 1949, or any assistance under section 306C of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act; and

(J)

any loan or loan guarantee under the Small Business Act.

(b)

Effective date

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2)

Prior application

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of any alien who applied for any status under the immigration laws before the date of the enactment of this Act who is ineligible for such status by reason of the enactment of this Act, such application shall be revoked, and any fee paid by such alien shall be refunded.

(c)

Exception

The prohibition on the issuance of a visa or provision of status under subsection (a) does not apply in the case of a visa or status under section 101(a)(15)(B)(ii).

3.

H-1B fees

Section 214(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(D)

Additional fee

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning with fiscal year 2026, a fee of $100,000 shall be imposed on an employer filing a petition under paragraph (1)—

(i)

initially to grant an alien nonimmigrant status described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b);

(ii)

to extend the stay of an alien having such status (unless the employer previously has obtained an extension for such alien); or

(iii)

to obtain authorization for an alien having such status to change employers.

.

4.

Termination of the Optional Practical Training Program

(a)

Eliminating the optional practical training program

Section 274A(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(4)

Employment authorization for aliens no longer engaged in full-time study in the united states

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no alien present in the United States as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) may be provided employment authorization in the United States.

.

(b)

Effective date

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2)

Selectees

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of any alien who registered for the Optional Practical Training Program and received notification before the date of the enactment of this Act that he or she has been selected for employment authorization pursuant to such program, such authorization shall be revoked, and any fee paid by such alien shall be refunded.

5.

Termination of Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

(a)

Repeal

Section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) is amended by striking subsection (c).

(b)

Technical and conforming amendments

Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.) is amended—

(1)

in section 201—

(A)

in subsection (a)—

(i)

in paragraph (1), by adding and at the end;

(ii)

in paragraph (2), by striking ; and and inserting a period; and

(iii)

by striking paragraph (3); and

(B)

by striking subsection (e);

(2)

in section 203—

(A)

by striking subsection (c);

(B)

in subsection (d), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b);

(C)

in subsection (e)—

(i)

by striking paragraph (2); and

(ii)

by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2);

(D)

in subsection (f), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section and inserting subsection (a) or (b);

(E)

in subsection (g), by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and inserting subsections (a) and (b); and

(F)

in subsection (h)(2)(B), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b); and

(3)

in section 204—

(A)

in subsection (a)(1), by striking subparagraph (I);

(B)

in subsection (e), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b); and

(C)

in subsection (l)(2)(B), by striking section 203 (a) or (d) and inserting subsection (a) or (d) of section 203.

(c)

Effective date

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2)

Selectees

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of any alien who registered for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and received notification before the date of the enactment of this Act that he or she has been selected to apply for a diversity immigrant visa under section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(c)), such application shall be revoked, and any fee paid by such alien shall be refunded.

6.

Definition

Terms used in this Act have the meaning given such terms under section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.