International
pti-PTI
The
Department
of
Homeland
Security
said
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
program
that
critics
say
has
become
a
pipeline
for
overseas
workers
willing
to
work
for
lower
pay,
but
supporters
say
drives
innovation.
The
Department
of
Homeland
Security
is
replacing
its
H-1B
work
visa
lottery
with
a
system
prioritizing
skilled,
higher-paid
foreign
workers,
effective
February
27,
2026,
amid
debates
about
wage
suppression
and
innovation;
President
Trump
also
imposed
a
USD
100,000
annual
fee
on
some
visas.
“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.
Earlier
this
year,
President
Donald
Trump
signed
a
proclamation
imposing
a
USD
100,000
annual
H-1B
visa
fee
on
highly
skilled
workers,
which
is
being
challenged
in
court.
The
president
also
rolled
out
a
USD
1
million
“gold
card”
visa
as
a
pathway
to
US
citizenship
for
wealthy
individuals.
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
Tuesday’s
press
release.
It
will
go
into
effect
Feb
27,
2026,
and
will
apply
to
the
upcoming
H-1B
cap
registration
season.
Supporters
of
the
H-1B
program
say
it
is
an
important
pathway
to
hiring
healthcare
workers
and
educators.
They
say
it
drives
innovation
and
economic
growth
in
the
US
and
allows
employers
to
fill
jobs
in
specialised
fields.
Critics
argue
that
the
visas
often
go
to
entry-level
positions
rather
than
senior
roles
requiring
specialised
skills.
While
the
program
is
intended
to
prevent
wage
suppression
or
the
displacement
of
US
workers,
critics
say
companies
can
pay
lower
wages
by
classifying
jobs
at
the
lowest
skill
levels,
even
when
the
workers
hired
have
more
experience.
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.
(AP)
AMJ
AMJ
