US Overhauls H-1B Visa to Favor High-Skilled, Top Earners

13 hours ago 5

December 26, 2025 | 11:55 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States (US) Department of Homeland Security plans to change the rules for the H-1B work visa program. The US will replace the long-standing random lottery with a weighted selection process. This new system is designed to prioritize foreign workers who possess higher skills and earn higher incomes.

An official stated on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, that these changes aim to protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers. The government wants to align the program more closely with the original intent of Congress.

"The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers," said US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Matthew Tragesser, in a statement quoted from Anadolu.

"The new weighted selection will better serve Congress’ intent for the H-1B program and strengthen America’s competitiveness by incentivizing American employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers," he said.

Under current law, the H-1B program is limited to 65,000 visas per year. An additional 20,000 visas are set aside for applicants with advanced degrees from US schools. Because demand usually exceeds this supply, the government has relied on a lottery to choose winners.

The latest move aims to fix these issues by increasing the chances for high-skilled workers to get visas. Officials say the change will still allow companies to hire at various wage levels, but it will favor the top tier.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that the new system will take effect on February 27, 2026. It will apply to the H-1B quota registration for the 2027 fiscal year.

This change is part of a larger government effort to tighten oversight of the H-1B program. The statement noted previous actions, including a presidential proclamation requiring employers to pay higher fees as a qualification.

"As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to H-1B reform, we will continue to demand more from both employers and aliens so as not to undercut American workers and to put America first," said Tragesser.

Read: US Imposes Visa Ban on Former EU Commissioner

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

US Imposes Visa Ban on Former EU Commissioner

1 hari lalu

US Imposes Visa Ban on Former EU Commissioner

The U.S. government has imposed visa bans on the former European Union commissioner and anti-disinformation activists.

7 Critical Passport Checks Before Your International Trip

20 hari lalu

7 Critical Passport Checks Before Your International Trip

Check out seven crucial aspects of your passport you must verify before booking your international travel.

Iranian FA Drops Plan to Boycott 2026 World Cup Draw

21 hari lalu

Iranian FA Drops Plan to Boycott 2026 World Cup Draw

Iranian FA had previously said it would boycott the 2026 World Cup draw after several members of its planned delegation were denied visas for the U.S.

Japan to Raise Visa Fees Tenfold Starting in 2026

34 hari lalu