Working in the United States: H-1B and other employer-sponsored visas

The H-1B in short

• It is for “specialty occupations”: jobs that normally require at least a bachelor's degree in a related field.
• The number of new visas each year is capped. Employers register candidates in a short window, usually in March, and a selection decides who may file; work starts at the earliest on 1 October.
• Since 2026 the selection favours better-paid positions: a registration at a higher wage level counts more than one at an entry-level wage.
• Universities and some research organisations are exempt from the cap and can hire all year.

A cost you should know about

A presidential proclamation of September 2025 added a payment of 100,000 dollars for certain new H-1B petitions for workers who are outside the United States. It has been challenged in court and its status may have changed since this guide was written. It makes many employers reluctant to sponsor candidates abroad, so ask an employer directly how it handles this before investing time in a process.

Other routes

• L-1: transfer within the same company, after working for it abroad.
• O-1: for people with a record of extraordinary achievement in their field.
• TN (Canada and Mexico) and E-3 (Australia): simpler routes reserved for those nationalities.
• Employment-based green cards: permanent residence sponsored by an employer, usually a long process.

Before you count on an offer

• Ask whether the employer has sponsored H-1B workers before and who pays the legal costs.
• Check the calendar: outside the registration window a cap-subject employer cannot start a new H-1B.
• Follow the official pages for the current fees and rules, which have changed several times recently.