{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-js","path":"/us-report-flags-sweeping-h-1b-restrictions","result":{"data":{"prismicArticle":{"uid":"us-report-flags-sweeping-h-1b-restrictions","tags":["politics","featured","one"],"first_publication_date":"2026-10-17T14:05:55+0000","last_publication_date":"2026-10-17T14:05:55+0000","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"US report flags sweeping H-1B restrictions"},"rating":null,"datetime":"2026-10-17T03:25:00+0000","img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/a2a0424c-b275-4c43-a4a0-04af454a5dd5_USA.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"embed":{"embed_url":null,"thumbnail_url":null,"author_url":null,"title":null},"content":{"raw":[{"text":"The Trump administration's sweeping changes to the H-1B visa programme have sharply increased costs and scrutiny for employers, while new government data indicate a steep decline in applications from major technology companies, according to a Congressional Research Service assessment. "},{"text":"The report, dated October 14, examines executive actions affecting wages, visa selection, employment conditions and the ability of foreign professionals to remain in the United States."},{"text":"According to the report, the administration replaced the traditional random visa lottery with a weighted selection process in February 2026, favouring higher-paid and more highly skilled applicants."},{"text":"The revised system first applied to the lottery for H-1B employment beginning in October."},{"text":"In March, the Department of Labor proposed increasing the wages employers must offer foreign professionals."},{"text":"Under the proposal, entry-level prevailing wage requirements would rise from approximately the 17th percentile of comparable local wages to the 34th percentile."},{"text":"Requirements for more experienced workers would also increase substantially."},{"text":"The Labour Department estimated that the proposed wage changes would increase employers' costs by approximately $1.46 billion in the first year."},{"text":"The report also identifies a proposed $103,265 fee for certain H-1B petitions, separate from the $100,000 fee imposed in September 2025 on employers seeking to bring new H-1B workers from overseas."},{"text":"The earlier fee has been temporarily blocked by litigation, according to the congressional assessment."},{"text":"The report distinguishes these proposed requirements from measures already implemented."},{"text":"Among the changes already introduced is an extension of an existing $4,000 biometric fee to certain H-1B and L-1 visa extension petitions."},{"text":"The administration has also expanded scrutiny of employers suspected of misusing the programme or replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign employees."},{"text":"In September, Trump issued an executive order requiring greater coordination between federal agencies when reviewing applications involving employers that had conducted layoffs or planned workforce reductions."},{"text":"The report notes that existing law does not automatically prohibit employers that recently laid off American workers from hiring H-1B employees."},{"text":"Other changes could directly affect foreign workers and their families."},{"text":"The administration has proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period that allows certain temporary foreign workers to remain in the country after losing employment."},{"text":"It has also ended automatic extensions of work authorisation for spouses of H-1B workers, according to the assessment."},{"text":"One of the report's most significant findings concerns falling employer demand for overseas recruitment."},{"text":"The report found a 91 per cent decline in initial petitions for consular processing from cap-exempt employers during the first eight months of the earlier $100,000 fee."},{"text":"The H-1B programme allows American employers to recruit foreign professionals for specialised occupations, particularly in technology, engineering, finance and research."},{"text":"Indian nationals have historically been the largest group of H-1B beneficiaries. The programme has also played an important role in the development of the US technology sector and the operations of Indian IT services companies serving American clients."}]}}},"relatedArticles":{"edges":[{"node":{"uid":"hc-hands-sai-krishna-death-case-to-cbi","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"HC Hands Sai Krishna Death Case to CBI"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/n_c4OUPuIWSnns83_saikrishnadeath.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-10-16T18:50:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"nov-21-reception-for-anirudh-kavya","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Nov 21 Reception for Anirudh-Kavya?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/aRYWjrpReVYa4ccb_anirudhkavya.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-10-17T04:20:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"can-vijayan-emerge-politically-unscathed","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Can Vijayan emerge politically 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