US Scraps H-1B Lottery, Moves To Higher-Paid, Skill-Based Visa Selection For Foreign Workers

The US Department of Homeland Security has announced a major overhaul of the H-1B work visa programme, ending the long-standing lottery system and replacing it with a selection process that gives preference to higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers.

Under the new framework, visas will no longer be allocated purely through random selection. Instead, applications will be weighted in a way that increases the likelihood of approval for foreign professionals offered higher wages and roles requiring more advanced skills.

According to the department, the change is intended to address concerns that the existing system has been misused by employers seeking cheaper labour.