The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that a new strategy that gives preference to qualified, higher-paid foreign workers would replace its long-standing lottery system for H-1B work visas.
With the removal of the random lottery system, the implementation of a $100,000 yearly visa fee, and the expansion of social media screening for applicants, the Trump administration has implemented the most extensive reform of the U.S. H-1B skilled worker visa program in over ten years. The changes, which were announced and put into effect at various points in 2025, fundamentally alter how the United States chooses, values, and evaluates foreign professional talent.
The H-1B Lottery system has officially discontinued.
The Department of Homeland Security said in December 2025 that a weighted system that prioritizes higher-paid and higher-skilled individuals would take the place of the long-standing random selection mechanism for H-1B visas. The final rule, published by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, will regulate the forthcoming H-1B cap registration season and go into effect on February 27, 2026.
In contrast to the lottery process that has characterized the program for decades, the new framework will directly affect an applicant's likelihood of selection based on income levels and employment qualities.
The Trump Administration's justification: Wages and abuse
The overhaul has been presented by officials as a remedy for what they call systematic abuse of the visa system.
"The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by US employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers," stated USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser.
According to the Trump administration, tying reward to selection improves program alignment with labor market demands and deters domestic wage undercutting.
The $100,000 yearly H-1B visa fee
President Donald Trump said earlier in 2025 that firms sponsoring specific H-1B workers would have to pay an extra $100,000 yearly cost per visa, apart from the December lottery decision. The policy has been positioned as a condition of eligibility rather than a standard filing fee. It was first established through a presidential proclamation and then strengthened through USCIS guidelines.
The regulation 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," according to a news release from the Department of Homeland Security.
Although a federal judge denied an initial attempt to prohibit the fee in late December, industry organizations have already filed legal challenges against it.
Increased social media screening for H-1B candidates
The Trump administration has discreetly increased vetting standards in addition to structural and financial improvements. The US State Department directed consular officials to expand social media and online presence inspections for H-1B candidates and their H-4 relatives in December 2025.
Although social media screening has been used in some capacity since Trump's first term, immigration attorneys claim that the most recent guidelines greatly expand its routine application, raising scrutiny during visa interviews and perhaps delaying processing times.
Forms, filings, and procedure upgrades are examples of ancillary and implementation adjustments.
Form/filing modifications (I-129, registration procedure): In order to comply with the new selection rule, USCIS has revised operational regulations, forms, and instructions for H-1B petitions and electronic registration.
The final rule will govern the FY2027 season and will go into effect on February 27, 2026, according to the computerized registration procedure page. It is recommended that employers reassess employment classifications, offering salaries, and recordkeeping strategies.
The statutory numerical caps, which are 65,000 regular and 20,000 for holders of US master's degrees, do not alter; nevertheless, selection probabilities do undergo weighting.
Who makes use of the H-1B program?
Technology and IT services companies have historically dominated the H-1B program. With almost 10,000 visas, Amazon was the biggest beneficiary of the most recent approvals, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple, and Google.
Due to its concentration of technological companies and research institutes, California continues to be the largest geographic hub for H-1B workers.
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