The new process, if finalized, would give heavier weight to applications by employers who pay high wages if annual requests for the visas exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said. The move aims to better protect Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign workers, it said.

President Donald Trump launched a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January, including a push for mass deportations and trying to block citizenship for children of immigrants in the U.S. illegally. In recent days, his administration intensified its focus on the H-1B program, popular with tech and outsourcing companies for hiring skilled foreign workers.

The Trump administration said on Friday it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year, opens new tab for H-1B visas. Some big tech companies warned visa holders to stay in the U.S. or quickly return, sparking a chaotic scramble to get back to the U.S. The White House later clarified, opens new tab that the fee would apply only to new visas.