New Delhi, Dec. 24 -- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is changing the H-1B work visa selection process to prioritize higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers. The new regulation will replace the current random lottery system, which critics have said allowed some employers to exploit the program by hiring lower-wage workers over Americans.

"The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers," said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser.

The reform aims to protect US wages, working conditions, and job opportunities. Under the weighted sys...