India, Dec. 24 -- The US Department of Homeland Security has finalised a rule replacing the random H-1B visa lottery with a weighted selection process that prioritises higher-paid and higher-skilled foreign workers, a change expected to make it significantly harder for entry-level professionals, particularly from India, to secure American work visas.

The final rule, announced on Tuesday and effective February 27, 2026, will govern the allocation of approximately 85,000 H-1B visas annually beginning with the fiscal 2027 registration season. Under the new system, applications for higher-paid workers will receive greater weight in the selection process, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H-1B workers at all wage level...