Dallasexpress article on how HB1 visas for well paid workers will be prioritized

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The proposed rule, titled “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions”, would replace the current random lottery for 85,000 annual H-1B visas with a system that gives priority to higher-wage positions. Registrations for unique beneficiaries would be entered into a weighted selection pool based on wage levels, with the highest-wage positions having the greatest odds of selection. The plan also covers the advanced degree exemption and provides procedures for registration system suspensions.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree. Under current law, 65,000 visas are available annually, with an additional 20,000 for workers holding U.S. master’s degrees or higher. DHS says the reform aims to incentivize employers to offer higher wages and hire more skilled workers, while maintaining opportunities at all wage levels.

The change is part of an ongoing effort from the Trump administration to prioritize higher-paid foreign talent, despite recent comments that appear to be at odds with the president’s policy reforms.

Trump recently told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “[Americans] don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we are going to make missiles,” while defending his continuation of the H-1B visa program, The Dallas Express reported.