New Trump Policy …..Ending the H-1B Visa Lottery
The Trump administration plans to publish a proposed rule to end or significantly change the annual H-1Bvisa lottery
Near the end of Trump’s first term, the administration proposed ending the current random selection process used each year when H-1B registrations exceed the annual limit of 65,000, plus a 20,000 exemption for individuals with an advanced degree from a U.S. university.
In its place, USCIS would have awarded H-1B petitions based on salary from highest to lowest. Commenters warned the rule violated the statute and would disadvantage recent international students and other early-career professionals. The Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the rule and could clear it for publication within weeks.
Under this system, USCIS would not have selected anybody paid at Level 1 for the regular cap or advanced degree exemption. USCIS would have chosen only 20% of individuals at Level 2 for the 20,000 advanced degree exemption and 75% of the Level 2 registrants for the 65,000 regular cap, or about 50% combined, according to DHS data.
Trump has been talking about doing this for a long time. Get ready — this will be a big change and could dramatically change who receives these visas and how companies hire foreign talent.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/07/21/new-trump-immigration-policy-ending-the-h-1b-visa-lottery/