Imagine an influx of top-tier talent fueling America’s growth engine to the tune of $20 billion over a decade—that’s the vision behind DHS’s H-1B visa revamp, backed by GAO projections for 2026-2035. At $303 million to implement, it’s poised for $19.78 billion net benefits and $34.34 billion transfers.
The game’s changer: a weighted lottery tilting toward elite skills and salaries, refining a program long criticized for randomness.
But haste makes waste, GAO cautions. The February 27, 2026, effective date likely breaches the 60-day Congressional Review Act window. Rulemaking hit Congress and Federal Register on December 29, 2025; Senate got it January 5.
Judiciary Committees in both houses received GAO’s alert this week, spotlighting their immigration watchdog duties.
Small firms get special scrutiny via DHS’s regulatory deep dive, with assurances of wage-level flexibility and no extra legal hurdles.
H-1B’s role as the gold standard for skilled workers, led by Indian applicants in STEM and health, puts this evolution under a global lens. Economic promise clashes with protocol, setting the stage for pivotal policy tweaks.