Effecting more changes in the popular H-1B visa programme rules, the US’ Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday it was implementing a weighted selection process to replace the current lottery system for H-1B work visas in order to put an end to “exploitation and abuse” by US employers.
The change follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at an overhaul of the visa programme so that skilled, higher-paid foreign workers may be “prioritised”, as per a press release on Tuesday.
“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by US employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman, Matthew Tragesser.
The press release said the new system will “implement a weighted selection process that will increase the probability that H-1B visas are allocated to higher-skilled and higher-paid” foreign workers.
It will go into effect Feb 27, 2026, and will apply to the upcoming H-1B cap registration season.
Also Read: Why are H-1B visa renewals in India being cancelled abruptly?
The press release said the new rule is “in line with other key changes the administration has made, such as the Presidential Proclamation that requires employers to pay an additional USD 100,000 per visa as a condition of eligibility.”
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a USD 100,000 annual H-1B visa fee on highly skilled workers and also rolled out a USD 1 million “gold card” visa as a pathway to US citizenship for wealthy individuals.
Historically, H-1B visas have been awarded through a lottery system. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient, with more than 10,000 visas approved, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple and Google. California has the highest concentration of H-1B workers.
Supporters of the H-1B programme say it helps drive innovation and encourages talent, especially in the fields of engineering, healthcare and education. They say the entry of highly-skilled foreign workers pay the way for economic growth in the US and allows employers to fill jobs in specialised fields.
However, critics of the programme argue that the visas often go to entry-level positions rather than senior roles requiring specialised skills, with companies classifying jobs at the lowest skill levels, even when the workers hired have more experience. This leads to unfair wage practice and competition for the locals, they add.
The number of new visas issued annually is capped at 65,000, plus an additional 20,000 for people with a master’s degree or higher.
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