H-1B Visas Changes Approved by White House: Report [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Aug 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM EDT Updated Aug 13, 2025 at 4:51 AM EDT


A proposed Department of Homeland Security rule that would alter how H-1B visas are allocated has cleared review by the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), according to Bloomberg Law.

Federal regulators cleared a proposed rule that would apply a "weighted selection process" by replacing the current random lottery with a new system that gives priority in the selection process to registrants who meet or exceed certain criteria, such as wage or education level. Newsweek reached out to the DHS and the OIRA for comment.

Why It Matters

The H-1B program supplies tens of thousands of specialty-occupation workers to U.S. employers each year and is heavily used by the technology sector. Any shift from a random lottery to a weighted, wage- or skill-based system could change hiring incentives for employers, affecting which foreign professionals obtain U.S. work authorization.

The H-1B cap of 85,000 slots annually influences employers' ability to hire specialized foreign workers in fields including engineering, computer science and business specialties. Any change to the selection criteria could incentivize employers to offer higher wages to improve odds in a weighted system or change recruitment strategies.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/h-1b-visas-changes-approved-white-house-report-2112216