In a significant change to the H-1B visa program, the Trump administration is replacing the random lottery system that selected visa beneficiaries with a process that will prioritise allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid individuals.
H-1B visa crisis: Trump’s new $100,000 visa fee exceeds 60% of Indian workers’ annual salaries in the U.S.
The new guidance is the latest amid an intensifying crackdown by the Trump administration on immigration, both legal and illegal, as well as the H-1B visas, which are used by corporations in the U.S. to hire foreign talent. Indian professionals are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders in the U.S..
ALSO WATCH Watch: Trump’s H-1B visa order | Explained
In a statement on Tuesday (December 23, 2025), the Department of Homeland Security said that it is amending regulations governing the H-1B work visa selection process to prioritise the allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid individuals to better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.
