The Trump administration is one step closer to unveiling a major
change in how H-1B visas are allocated. On August 8, the White
House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)
signed off on a proposed rule that could significantly reshape the
selection process for specialty occupation workers.
While the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has
not released details yet, it is expected that the proposal will
revive an original Trump 1.0 era idea: replacing the current random
lottery with a system that favors higher-wage offers. Under that
earlier plan, applications would have been ranked by salary level,
with the highest wage tiers getting priority until the annual cap
of 85,000 visas is met.