• 10 May 2025

H 1B Lottery Overhaul

The H 1B visa program—critical for employing skilled foreign workers, especially in the tech and business sectors—is facing a potential overhaul under a revived Trump-era policy. The proposed changes aim to replace or significantly modify the current random lottery system used to allocate the limited number of H 1B visas annually. Instead, the new system would adopt a merit-based selection process, prioritizing applicants with higher wages, advanced degrees, or specialized skills deemed more valuable to the U.S. economy.

This shift is positioned as an effort to promote fairness and reduce abuse of the visa system, but it could dramatically alter the talent acquisition strategies of U.S.-based companies. Major tech firms, which have long relied on the existing process to hire international graduates and skilled professionals, may face greater competition and uncertainty under a merit-driven model.

While proponents argue the change would attract higher-skilled immigrants and ensure that employers are truly investing in specialized talent, critics warn it could disadvantage smaller companies, startups, and recent graduates, particularly those with lower salary offers despite strong qualifications. The overhaul, if implemented, would represent one of the most significant restructurings of the H 1B system in decades and could have far-reaching implications for workforce diversity, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness in global tech markets.