A sweeping overhaul of the H-1B visa process is now poised to move forward after clearing a key White House review. Instead of the current lottery system, visas will be awarded by wage levels, prioritizing higher-paid roles.
What just happened
- On August 8, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) signed off on a proposed rule shift favoring H-1B applicants with higher salaries, abandoning the random lottery in favor of a wage-based, weighted system.
- The change hearkens back to an earlier Trump-era initiative that similarly aimed to prioritize elite, high-paying positions.
Why it matters
- With H-1Bs central to industries like AI, engineering, and finance, the rule reshapes how companies secure global talent.
- Smaller firms and academic researchers, whose offers typically fall below top-tier wage thresholds, may be edged out.
- This marks a bold move toward merit-based immigration policy, prioritizing salary and role over randomness.
Public release is incoming. Prepare for changes in application strategy and budget planning.
H-1B by Lottery → H-1B by Pay Scale.
If this rule goes into effect, companies submitting H-1B registrations for PW Level III & IV employees, will be the ones to benefit since they will almost certainly be guaranteed to be selected. PW Level II salaries will also be difficult to justify. All positions with PW Level I would be eliminated.