Trump Eyes Weighted H-1B Lottery System

As unemployment rises for computer science grads, DHS eyes reforms that critics say will continue to feed Silicon Valley’s appetite for underpaid H-1B labor.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are preparing to revise how H-1B visas are allocated, moving away from the current lottery system to a weighted selection process, according to a regulatory notice filed last week.

The proposed rule, titled “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions,” was submitted Thursday to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). It is expected to be published in the Federal Register once the review is complete.