Trump administration proposes new H-1B visa process favouring higher-skilled, better-paid workers
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The White House said the move is aimed at better protecting Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign workers.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- The Trump adminstration proposed H-1B visa changes favouring higher-skilled, better-paid workers.
- It prioritises applications from employers paying high wages if requests exceed 85,000.
- The changes aim to protect American workers from wage competition from foreign workers.
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WASHINGTON - The Trump administration on Sept 23 released a proposal that would rework the H-1B visa selection process to favour higher-skilled and better-paid workers, according to a related Federal Register notice, a move that follows a White House proclamation on Sept 19 introducing a US$100,000 (S$130,000) fee for the visas.
The new process, if finalised, would give heavier weight to applications by employers who pay high wages if annual requests for the visas exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said.
The move aims to better protect Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign workers, it said.
US President Donald Trump launched a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January, including a push for mass deportations and trying to block citizenship for children of immigrants in the US illegally.
In recent days, his administration intensified its focus on the H-1B programme, popular with tech and outsourcing companies for hiring skilled foreign workers.
The Trump administration said on Sept 19 it would ask companies to pay US$100,000 a year for H-1B visas.
Some big tech companies warned visa holders to stay in the US or quickly return, sparking a chaotic scramble
The White House later clarified that the fee would apply only to new visas.
The planned regulation posted on Sept 23 would change an existing lottery process to obtain the visas if demand surpasses supply in a given year, creating wage tiers where higher-paying jobs would have a better chance of being selected.
The process to finalise a regulation can take months or even years. The notice suggested that the new rules could be in place for the 2026 lottery, meaning before a March registration period.
The total wages paid to H-1B workers would increase to US$502 million in fiscal year 2026, which begins on Oct 1, the notice said, citing US Department of Homeland Security estimates.
Wages would increase by US$1 in fiscal 2027, US$1.5 in fiscal 2028, and US$2 in fiscal 2029-2035, it said.
An estimated 5,200 small businesses that currently receive H-1B visas would suffer a significant economic impact due to loss of labour, DHS said.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which issued the proposal, will give the public 30 days to comment beginning on Sept 24, the notice said. REUTERS
