United States has announced to scrap the longstanding lottery system for H-1B work visas. The lottery system will now be replaced with a new approach that
prioritises skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. Historically, H-1B visas have been awarded through a lottery system. The Department of Homeland Security said that the new system will “implement a weighted selection process that will increase the probability that H-1B visas are allocated to higher-skilled and higher-paid” foreign workers. The new system will go into effect on February 27, 2026, and will apply to the upcoming H-1B cap registration season. The press release announcing the new rule said it is “in line with other key changes the administration has made, such as the Presidential Proclamation that requires employers to pay an additional $100,000 per visa as a condition of eligibility.” For the unversed, US President Donald Trump had signed a proclamation earlier this year imposing a $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee on highly skilled workers. The move has been challenged in the court. Notably, the move to end the lottery system follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at reshaping a visa program.
What is H-1B Visa System and Who Benefits From It?
The H-1B programme serves as America's gateway for attracting the world's top talent and skilled professionals. Critics say that the H-1B visa system become a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay, but supporters say it drives innovation.
This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient, with more than 10,000 visas approved, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple and Google. California has the highest concentration of H-1B workers.
Trump Suspends Green Card Lottery Programme
Earlier this month, Trump had suspended thegreen card lottery programme. The programme is supposed to have allowed the Brown University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shootings suspect into the US.
The diversity visa program makes up to 50,000 green cards available each year by lottery to people from countries that are underrepresented in the United States, many of them in Africa. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that, at Trump’s direction, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the program.
