Reform of the U.S. H-1B Work Visa Issuance Process; Skills Replace Lottery System

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it has canceled the random lottery system for issuing H-1B work visas and will replace it with a mechanism that prioritizes skilled foreign workers with higher salaries. According to the department, the revised system will better protect the wage levels, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers. Under the new regulations, the random lottery for selecting visa recipients is eliminated and replaced by a process that gives more points to individuals with higher skills. Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated, 'The current random selection process for H-1B visa registrations has been abused by American employers who primarily wanted to hire foreign workers at wages lower than those paid to American workers.' According to officials from the department, this change is part of a series of actions by the U.S. government to reform the visa issuance system. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an order setting the annual fee for H-1B visas for high-skilled workers at $100,000. A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Council on Education that opposed this fee. Tragesser emphasized that the redesigned program will enhance U.S. competitiveness by encouraging American employers to apply for skilled foreign workers with higher salaries, without any abuse that could harm American workers. Additionally, the current regulations limit the number of H-1B visas issued each year to 65,000, with an additional 20,000 allocated for holders of advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Trump had emphasized combating illegal immigration to the U.S. during his presidential campaign. He suspended the green card lottery program that was used by the suspect in the Brown University shooting, expanded travel bans and restrictions to the U.S., and halted visa issuance for all those traveling with Afghan passports.