H-1B Update: Trump Administration Proposes Weighted Lottery And Enhanced Worksite Enforcement

Key Takeaways:

• Weighted lottery favoring higher earners to go into effect for March 2026 H-1B Lottery
• Regular Cap and U.S. Master's Cap, as well as electronic Cap Registrations, to remain the same, but Cap Registrations to require more information, including wage level
• Level 4 wages earners to be four-times more likely to be selected than Level 1 earners
• DOL also launching Project Firewall to combat H-1B fraud and other abuses

In the wake of last week's Presidential Proclamation introducing a $100,000.00 fee for new H-1B Petitions, the Trump Administration has also announced additional measures that may bring additional uncertainty to current and future H-1B processes, alike. Indeed, less than a year after extoling the H-1B Program's virtues and affirming his use of the same on his properties, these measures signal a return to Trump 1.0's fixation on tightening U.S. employers' use of this visa by raising the costs of participation up front – whether