As the US presidential election approaches, the Donald Trump administration has made another crucial decision. The Trump administration has proposed abolishing the current computerized lottery system for the issuance of H-1B visas. Notification to this effect has been placed in the Federal Register. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated it would respond to the notification within 30 days.
President Trump has been imposing a number of stringent restrictions on the issuance of H-1B visas for some time to provide job security for Americans, is now also considering ending the lottery system. The decision was made to provide job opportunities to the locals and to accommodate only the skilled in their country and issue H-1B visas based on the maximum wage level.
Replacing the computerised system balances the interests of successful H-1B applicants, petitioners and US workers, the DHS said. It is keen to help counter the downward pressure on the wages of US workers that is created by an annual influx of relatively lower-paid, new cap-subject H-1B workers.
The H-1B visa, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that permits US firms to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that needs theoretical or technical expertise.