International Students to be Impacted by the New H-1B Visa Wage-based System

According to new research from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), the new wage-based selection scheme would make obtaining an H-1B visa in the United States more challenging for foreign students. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a legacy of the Trump period that has made its way into the Biden administration, will now prioritise high earners in the H-1B visa selection system, effectively favouring more experienced individuals in the selection process. Budget hints that international students will return to Australia later this year. Since many students who apply for this visa are recent graduates (Level 1), an H-1B visa selection system that rates applicants based on income will eventually affect them. Also students with work experience or a master's degree (Level 2) will be affected, as this level accounts for more than half of all H-1B visa petitions.