US set to favour high-paid workers in H-1B overhaul

The Donald Trump administration has proposed amendments to the process by which US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects H-1B visa applications, just days after announcing a $100,000 fee on new filings from next year.

- AVIK DAS

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has outlined plans for a weighted selection system that would favour the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled workers over the decades-old lottery system when applications exceed the annual cap. Under the proposal, visas would be allocated according to wage tiers, giving higher-paying jobs a greater chance of selection.

"Through the proposed regulatory revisions, DHS aims to implement the numerical cap in a way that incentivises employers to offer higher wages, or to petition for positions requiring higher skills and higher-skilled aliens, that are commensurate with higher wage levels," said a federal register notice on Tuesday.

"The proposed process would favour the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H-1B workers at all wage levels," the federal register notice said.