The United States has announced a major overhaul of its H-1B visa programme, scrapping the long-running lottery-based selection system in favour of a wage-weighted model that prioritises higher-paid and higher-skilled foreign workers. The new rule, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, will come into effect on February 27, 2026, and will apply to the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration cycle, with registrations expected to open in March 2026 for jobs beginning on October 1. While