US to replace lottery system for H-1B work visas

The Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday it was replacing its longstanding lottery system for H-1B work visas with a new approach that prioritises skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. The change follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at reshaping a visa program that critics say has become a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay, but supporters say drives innovation.

“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,” said US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser.