This article was originally featured in Newsweek. Written by Billal Rahman.
Business owners in agriculture, construction, hospitality and manufacturing keep running into the same wall: there aren’t enough workers to meet demand.
A bipartisan bill from Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) takes a new approach to that problem. The State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026 would let states that choose to participate sponsor temporary visas matched to their own labor needs. Background checks, visa approval and enforcement would stay with the federal government.
Newsweek’s coverage of the bill lists the U.S. Hispanic Business Council among the organizations supporting it, alongside UnidosUS, the National Immigration Forum and American Business Immigration Coalition Action. Kelly put the case for a state role plainly: “States understand their own economic needs best.”
The bill faces a difficult path. Congress hasn’t passed major immigration legislation since 1986, and the proposal has already drawn criticism from some conservatives. Newsweek’s full article walks through how the program would work, including how long visas would last and the safeguards states would need to protect U.S. workers from displacement.