Joint Economic Committee Republicans back SMARTER Act to overhaul employment visas

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SMARTER Act for employment visas

Highlights

Representative David Schweikert introduced the SMARTER Act to shift U.S. employment visas to a merit-based selection model prioritizing economic growth.
Joint Economic Committee estimates show the SMARTER Act would save the federal government about $335 billion and boost U.S. GDP by at least $549 billion over 10 years.
The bill proposes replacing H-1B visas with a points-based system, aiming to direct top talent to sectors with labor shortages and enhance U.S. competitiveness against China.

Visa overhaul proposal and fiscal targets

As reported by the Joint Economic Committee Republicans Newsroom, Representative David Schweikert, chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, has introduced the Securing Migration, Addressing Reform, and Talent Enhancement and Retention, SMARTER, Act to shift employment visas to a merit-based selection model.

The proposal is designed to prioritize applicants judged most valuable to U.S. economic growth, while supporters argue it would also help address workforce shortages and strengthen the country's position against geopolitical rivals competing for skilled labor.

Schweikert ties the measure to broader demographic and fiscal pressures, saying the U.S. has the same number of 18-year-olds as nearly two decades ago while the older population grows rapidly. He argues that a smaller workforce threatens long-term financial stability and that immigration policy should place greater weight on high-skilled employment visas than on family-sponsored or diversity-based pathways.

The committee also points to its March 18 hearing on labor inflows and competitiveness, alongside an issue brief and an Immigration Fiscal Impact Calculator, as part of the policy case for the bill. According to committee estimates, the SMARTER Act would save the federal government about $335 billion and increase U.S. GDP by at least $549 billion over the next 10 years.

Implications for labor markets and U.S. competitiveness

The legislation's backers say the bill would end what they describe as mass migration, replace H-1B visas with a measured points-based system, and admit only applicants who deliver the strongest economic value. They also say the approach would improve labor market conditions for American workers by reducing excess imported labor.

Supporters further present the measure as a tool to direct talent toward industries facing supply shortages, with expected benefits for economic growth, technology development and national security. The proposal is also framed as part of a wider competition for entrepreneurs, inventors and other highly skilled workers, particularly against China and other rival economies.

The broader argument behind the bill is that selective high-skilled immigration can lift innovation and productivity at a time when the ratio of workers to retirees is under pressure. Whether the proposal advances will depend on congressional support for a sharper shift toward merit-based employment visas as an economic policy instrument.

In our earlier coverage of sovereign resilience in a higher-rate environment, we examined how prolonged geopolitical tensions and elevated fiscal spending are increasing refinancing and borrowing risks for governments. The piece noted that emerging and frontier markets are especially exposed because debt-service costs are high relative to limited revenue bases, while persistent shocks such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East can keep energy and food prices elevated and strain public finances.

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