H-1B visa: Trump proposes new system to favour higher-skilled workers

The move aims to protect American workers from unfair wage competition, the note said

Days after imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, US President Donald Trump's administration proposed a new system to grant approvals based on skills, replacing the earlier lottery-based process, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a related Federal Register notice.

 

According to the report, the new scheme will prioritise applicants with higher skills who will also be paid higher wages.

 

If finalised, the process would give greater weight to applications from employers offering higher pay whenever annual H-1B requests exceed the statutory cap of 85,000. The move aims to protect American workers from unfair wage competition, the notice said.

 

United States (US) President Donald Trump has launched a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January, including a push for mass deportations and an attempt to block citizenship for children of immigrants in the US illegally. 

 

 

Recently, his administration intensified its focus on the H-1B programme, popular with tech and outsourcing companies for hiring skilled foreign workers, saying it would impose a $100,000 fee on all H-1B visa holders.

 

The sudden announcements led to widespread chaos and confusion, with leading tech companies issuing advisories to employees not to leave the US and asking those out of the country to return before September 21, when the new rules would kick in. Less than 24 hours later, the White House clarified that the fees would apply only to new cases, and would be a one-time payment instead of an annual one, as previously declared. 

 

According to data cited in a Business Standard report, major American companies are the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B programme in 2025, employing a large number of people through the scheme.

 

Amazon topped the list with 10,444 H-1B visas, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with 5,505. Microsoft received 5,189, Meta 5,123, Apple 4,202, Google 4,181, and JPMorgan Chase 2,440. Cognizant was the other Indian-origin firm in the top ten, securing 2,493 visas. The data from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is current as of June 30, 2025, the report said.