Trump administration overhauls H-1B visa rules: Skill and high salary will now take priority over lottery

The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced major changes to the H-1B visa issuance process. From now on, skill level and high salary will receive priority in granting visas. The Donald Trump administration has scrapped the traditional lottery system for H-1B visas, replacing it with a new selection process based on merit.

Applicants will now be evaluated primarily on their expertise and the salary offered by the employer. Those with higher skills and higher pay packages will get precedence.

Why this decision?

The US administration said this step will better protect job opportunities and working conditions for American citizens. The new rules will take effect from 27 February 2026. The Trump administration also plans to apply these changes to the registration process for the 2026-27 fiscal year’s H-1B visas.

Additionally, discussions are underway to increase the annual cap on H-1B visas. Currently, 65,000 visas are issued each year. This number could be raised by another 20,000.

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the old lottery system will be abolished and replaced with a new merit-based selection process. This will allow companies to bring in highly skilled foreign workers with higher salaries. The administration believes the previous lottery system was often misused by “dishonest” employers who brought in less-skilled workers at low wages — a practice that has drawn criticism for years. It also argued that American workers were being deprived of opportunities despite having the required skills.

Recent changes to H-1B visa rules

The United States has introduced several stricter measures for H-1B visas recently. Employers will now have to pay a fee of $100,000 (approximately Tk 88 lakh) for each new application or renewal. Applicants will face rigorous scrutiny. Each application will be checked through biodata and LinkedIn profiles. Authorities will also verify whether any family member of the applicant has been involved in spreading misinformation or distorting facts. If an applicant has interfered with anyone’s freedom of speech, their visa application may be rejected. These measures aim to prevent misuse of the H-1B visa programme.