Trump Admin Abolishes H-1B Visa Lottery, Favors Higher-Skilled Foreign Workers

The US Trump administration has announced a major overhaul of the H-1B work visa program, ending the random lottery system and replacing it with a more selective process that prioritizes higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers. The move aims to protect American workers' wages, working conditions, and job opportunities. This change is part of the administration's broader effort to reform the visa program, which was criticized for favoring foreign workers over Americans. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the existing lottery system was exploited by employers seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages. The new system, set to take effect on February 27, 2026, will introduce a weighted selection process that increases the chances of higher-skilled and higher-paid workers receiving H-1B visas. This change is in line with other recent reforms, including a $100,000 annual visa fee for new applications and a $1 million 'gold card' visa program for wealthy individuals. The H-1B program, which has been used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers from abroad, will continue to have a limited annual cap of 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 for US advanced degree holders. The revised approach is expected to impact major tech companies that have heavily relied on the H-1B program, including Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services, and Google.