The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it was replacing its old lottery system for H-1B work visas with a new approach that prioritizes skilled and higher-paid foreign workers.
The change follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at reshaping a visa program that, according to critics, has become a conduit for foreign workers willing to work for a lower salary, but which, according to its supporters, drives innovation.
“The current random selection process for H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay to American workers,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser.
At the beginning of this year, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing an annual fee of $100,000 for the H-1B visa for highly qualified workers, which is being challenged in the courts. The president also implemented a “golden card” visa of $1 million as a way to obtain U.S. citizenship for wealthy people.
