By Jasper Ward
March 3 (Reuters) - Florida's public universities will temporarily halt hiring foreign faculty members using the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to recruit highly skilled professionals in specialized occupations.
The move comes after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed schools last October to crack down on what he described as "visa abuse" in higher education.
The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's public universities, voted for a temporary ban that will stay in effect until January 5, 2027, according to the regulation posted on the board's website.
The move will only affect new employees at the 12 universities in the State University System of Florida.
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Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a one-time $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applicants amid his wider crackdown on immigration in the United States.
The office of DeSantis and the board of governors were not immediately available for contact.
The H-1B visa program allows foreign professionals in specialized occupations - primarily in science, technology, engineering and mathematics - to work in the U.S. It offers 65,000 visas annually, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees, approved for three to six years.
More than 600 beneficiaries were approved for H-1B visas by the 12 Florida schools last year, according to data on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' website.
Last October, DeSantis said U.S. universities "were importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job".
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by David Ljunggren and Daniel Wallis)