University of Florida in soup over H-1B filing, president says it was not authorized by him and hence withdrawn.
In October 2025, DeSantis questioned why universities had staff members on H-1B visas such as a public-policy professor from China, a psychologist and counselor from the United Kingdom, an athletics operations and communications coordinator from Trinidad and Tobago and an assistant swimming coach from Spain.
“We can do it with our residents in Florida or with Americans, and if we can’t do it, then, man, we need to really look deeply at what is going on with this situation,” DeSantis said. He was speaking at the University of South Florida.
The university is following the statewide ban on H-1B hiring that the Florida Board of Governors voted for on March 2 and will be in effect until January 5, 2027. In the vote, it was decided that universities won’t have to fire existing H-1Bs and their contract can be renewed too but there will be no new hiring of H-1B visa holders.
University president Stuart Bell said the filing was made without his approval and has been removed immediately. “This job was posted without my approval or authorization, and it has been removed,” Bell said. The University of Florida employs the largest number of H-1B visa holders among the state’s public universities, according to The Independent Florida Alligator.
“The University of Florida will continue to remain in full compliance with Governor DeSantis’ direction on H-1B hires.