The End of the H-1B Lottery Era? U.S. Government Advances 'High Salary Priority'

Jin10 data reported on August 14, local time on August 13, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs approved a proposal to reform the allocation method of H-1B visas, intending to change the current random lottery to a “weighted selection” model that prioritizes high-salary, high-skill applicants. The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 85,000, primarily for employers in industries such as technology to bring in overseas professionals. The reform is expected to categorize selections based on the salary levels provided by employers, increasing the chances of winning for high-salary positions, which may encourage companies to offer higher salaries to improve the chances of obtaining a visa. However, critics argue that this will be unfavorable for inexperienced or newly graduated applicants.