Wed Dec 24 03:17:05 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article based on it:
Summary:
The Trump administration is overhauling the H-1B visa program, replacing the random lottery system with a system that prioritizes higher-skilled and higher-paid workers. This change, effective February 27, 2026, for the FY 2027 cap registration season, aims to protect American jobs and wages by incentivizing companies to hire more qualified foreign workers. The administration argues the previous lottery system was abused by companies seeking cheaper labor. This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration, including increased fees and enhanced screening for H-1B visa applicants.
News Article:
Trump Administration Prioritizes High-Skilled Workers in H-1B Visa Overhaul
New York/Washington – December 24, 2025 – In a significant shift to U.S. immigration policy, the Trump administration has announced sweeping changes to the H-1B visa program, prioritizing highly skilled and highly paid foreign workers over the existing random lottery system. The new regulations, set to take effect on February 27, 2026, for the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration season, represent a major victory for proponents of merit-based immigration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on Tuesday that the new regulations aim to “better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.” Officials contend that the previous lottery system was vulnerable to abuse, allowing companies to exploit the program by hiring foreign workers at lower wages.
“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by US employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Matthew Tragesser.
The new system is intended to incentivize employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers. According to the USCIS, the change aligns with Congressional intent for the H-1B program and will “strengthen America’s competitiveness.”
This announcement is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Trump administration to tighten immigration policies and curb perceived abuses of the H-1B visa program. Earlier this year, the administration imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. Furthermore, the State Department has begun enhanced screening of H-1B and H-4 (dependent) visa applicants, including scrutiny of social media profiles. These screenings have already led to delays in visa processing and left some applicants stranded in India.
The annual number of H-1B visas issued remains capped at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 visas available for those with U.S. advanced degrees. However, the new prioritization system promises to significantly alter the composition of H-1B recipients, potentially favoring those in higher-paying and more specialized fields.
Critics of the previous system argued that it allowed unscrupulous employers to flood the selection pool with lower-skilled workers, disadvantaging American job seekers. The administration hopes this latest reform will address these concerns and ensure that the H-1B program serves its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest to contribute to the U.S. economy.
The State Department has reiterated that a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right, and that it will continue to use all available information to identify visa applicants who pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.
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