The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed replacing the H-1B visa lottery with a “weighted selection” based on criteria like salary and seniority.

The current system randomly allocates 85,000 annual visas, despite overwhelming demand.

The proposal, submitted on July 17, aims to favour highly skilled and better-paid applicants, potentially raising average H-1B salaries from $106,000 to $172,000.

This shift could significantly impact outsourcing firms and boost the programme’s economic value by up to 88%.

While universities remain exempt from caps, tech giants currently benefit from mass applications.

Experts have welcomed the reform, calling random selection “insane” and pushing for a salary-driven model.

Indian nationals continue to dominate the programme, receiving over 70% of H-1B visas in recent years.