Overview

• On July 25, USCIS director Joseph Edlow announced plans to restore the Trump-era naturalization test with an expanded 2020-style question pool and higher passing requirement.
• A July 20 DHS proposal would replace the random lottery for the 85,000 annual H-1B visas with a wage-weighted selection process favoring higher paid applicants.
• Edlow said H-1B visas must supplement rather than supplant the U.S. workforce by prioritizing skilled workers with top wage offers.
• Implementation hinges on DHS and OIRA scrutiny and may require separate congressional approval before taking effect.
• The measures reverse President Biden’s rollbacks of Trump-era rules and underscore the administration’s America-first approach to legal immigration.