Trump Administration Replaces H-1B Visa Lottery with Salary-Based Selection System

Washington DC: The Trump administration has introduced major changes to the way H-1B visas are issued in the United States. The long-standing lottery system has been scrapped and replaced with a new “weighted approach” that prioritizes foreign workers with higher skills and higher salaries.

The change is expected to make it more difficult for young professionals from India to secure jobs in the US. The new rule will come into effect on February 27, and will apply to the roughly 85,000 H-1B visas issued annually.

The administration has argued that the existing lottery system has been misused by US companies to bring in foreign workers at lower wages. Under the new system, applicants with advanced skills and those for whom employers are willing to pay higher salaries will have a better chance of obtaining visas.

In addition, employers may be required to pay an extra fee of USD 100,000 per visa to sponsor professionals under the revised framework. Indian professionals, especially those in the IT sector, are expected to be the most affected by this move.

The changes will significantly reduce opportunities for entry-level workers to move to the US on lower salaries. Companies such as Amazon, TCS, and Microsoft are currently among the largest users of the H-1B visa program.