Overview

• Posting on Sept. 24, the Florida governor said the program imports cheap foreign labor and tied it to job losses he expects from artificial intelligence.
• The Department of Homeland Security has circulated a Federal Register draft to replace the lottery with a weighted selection favoring higher‑paid, higher‑qualified applicants.
• USCIS says the measures are intended to curb abuses and protect American workers.
• Republican messaging, echoed by the Brevard County GOP committee, portrays H‑1B as benefitting universities and tech firms while sidelining U.S. graduates.
• The H‑1B program covers specialized occupations, is capped at 65,000 visas plus 20,000 for U.S. master’s degree holders, uses a lottery due to excess demand, and grants an initial three‑year term that is often extended.