Trump administration ends lottery system for H-1B visas

 

 

 

THE Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday it was replacing its longstanding lottery system for H-1B work visas with a new approach that prioritises skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. The change follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at reshaping a visa programme that critics say has become a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay, but supporters say drives innovation.

 

“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. A press release announcing the new rule says, it 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.”

 

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. 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, according to the press release. It will go into effect from February 27, 2026, and will apply to the upcoming H-1B cap registration season.