How Trump plans to reshape H-1B visas and citizenship tests in his second term

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to make major changes to the visa program for skilled foreign workers, known as H-1B, according to Joseph Edlow, the newly confirmed director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In an interview, Edlow said the administration plans to prioritize companies that offer higher wages to foreign workers—a move aimed at addressing criticism from immigration hard-liners who argue the program undercuts American wages, the New York Times reported.

H-1B visa changes signal shift to merit-based hiring

The proposed revision to the H-1B visa system would move away from the current lottery-based allocation and instead reward employers who pay foreign workers more. This change is likely to appeal to conservative critics who claim the program is used to replace American workers with cheaper labour. But it could face pushback from the tech industry, where Trump-aligned leaders have defended the program as a lifeline for filling roles that American applicants are unqualified or unwilling to take.

Industry pushback and legal hurdles

Critics, including former Biden administration official Doug Rand, argue that favouring higher salaries goes beyond the authority granted by Congress. “Congress never allowed DHS to put its thumb on the scale based on salary,” Rand said, warning that the proposed overhaul could limit access to international graduates of US universities. Any changes to the visa rules would have to pass through a lengthy federal rule-making process, potentially drawing lawsuits and political opposition.

Naturalization test also in the spotlight

Alongside the H-1B visa shift, the Trump administration is also looking to make the US citizenship test more difficult. Edlow said the current format, where immigrants must answer 6 out of 10 civics questions correctly, is too easy. He suggested a return to a version used during Trump’s first term, where applicants had to answer 12 out of 20 questions correctly from a larger question bank. Critics argue the move could make it harder for legal immigrants to become citizens.

Broader immigration policy goals reaffirmed

Edlow emphasized that immigration policy should “supplement, not supplant” the US workforce and economy. He framed both the H-1B reforms and naturalization test changes as part of a larger strategy to align immigration with national economic interests. His comments reflect a broader theme in Trump’s second-term agenda: using administrative tools to reshape the legal immigration system without needing new laws from Congress.

Trump's immigration record and what’s next

During Trump’s first term, USCIS policies made it harder for immigrants who used public benefits to get green cards and pushed through asylum restrictions that were often struck down in court. Edlow said he does not plan to revive the public charge rule, but the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration continues. With Edlow now officially in charge of USCIS, the agency is poised to play a central role in implementing Trump’s immigration priorities ahead of the 2026 election.