Overview

• USCIS has drafted a proposal to replace the H‑1B lottery with a wage-based selection that favors higher‑paying roles, and officials have not finalized any rule.
• Trump-aligned figures have intensified calls to restrict or end the program, with Marjorie Taylor Greene urging an end to Indian H‑1B hiring and Steve Bannon calling for no foreign student or H‑1B visas.
• Vice President JD Vance criticized tech firms’ claims about talent shortages, and the EEOC warned employers against unlawful bias favoring foreign workers over U.S. citizens.
• Google engineer Surbhi Madan described constant anxiety tied to her status, saying her life feels temporary and recalling an officer’s remark, “You don’t live here; you work here.”
• India Today reported nearly 207,000 H‑1B visas went to Indian nationals in FY2024, and new polling and reporting show many workers reassessing whether to stay in the U.S. as a wage‑based selection is considered.