A sweeping change to the US H-1B visa selection process will have an effect on Indian technology professionals and Indian American families. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally notified that future H-1B cap selections will be weighted based on wage levels rather than a random lottery alone.

DHS said the rule is intended to address shortages in positions requiring highly skilled or highly educated workers while protecting the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of US workers. For Indian nationals who account for a large share of H-1B approvals and dominate the long employment-based green card backlog, the shift is being closely watched as a potential restructuring of how foreign talent enters the US technology workforce.