There are several route one can take to live and stay longer in the US after study. There are many nonimmigrant visa types in the US, that give work authorization. Due to the high-skilled nature of the majority of US work visa seekers, the H1B Visa is one of the most common and achievable work visa routes. To get a work permit means you need to upgrade from your F1Visa to a H1B visa.
Most people, however, face problems getting an H1B visa because they do not have a sponsor. Where can one get a H1B visa sponsorship? How do access companies that sponsors this visas? Not to fret, in this blog post, we will talk about five outstanding ways you can get yourself into H1B visa sponsoring companies.
Guide to Getting H1B Visa Sponsorship
Checking the H1B Visa Sponsors Database for Jobs
This is usually the first option to try out. Just a Google search using the keyword ‘h1bvisa sponsorship database’ can help you view list of companies or organizations that offer h1bi visa sponsorship currently or in the past. You can check some dedicated websites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc. For instance, this one called- h1bgrader helps to organise data from the USCIS H1B Data Hub and obtained from US Department of Labor for public disclosure.
Categories to Search for in the Database
- H1B sponsors by company name, state, and city.
- H1B companies list by H1B Job Titles, City, etc.
- H1B Salaries by Company
- Details of known companies’ LCAs to see what kind of jobs they filed H1Bs for.
- Petitions that have been approved by USCIS.
Once you’ve gone through each category dedicatedly, you can make a list of companies open to H1B visa sponsorship. Then start sending in applications to those you pick interest in. One you get a job offer, proceed to request for sponsorship. You can also reach out to someone who works there for guide and follow-up steps.
Get Into an Internship
So apparently, you are already studying in the US with your F1 Visa. Now if you plan to stay back longer to get a H1B visa, instead of waiting till your student visa expires you can apply for internships. You should let the company know of your future intention to get H1B Visa sponsorship because the idea is to intern for value before being offered a full time job and sponsored for your H1b visa instead of looking for another company. Therefore, it is essential that the company where you are planning to do your internship has previously sponsored other H1B visa petitions. In the US, one major internship route is the OPT or Stem OPT. You can also find worthy internships throughs networking in job fairs, career events etc. If you are outside the US however, but hoping to get internship or work in the US, you can still apply for intership under H1b visa sponsoring companies. You can search for these companies online using the database option.
Applying to Boutique Firms
Just as the name implies, Boutique firms are small but glamorous consulting companies that helps to recruit staff for sponsored jobs in their companies. In this case however, these firms help to sponsor people for H1B visa. Since there are many small consulting firms now, it might be difficult picking the best and legit options. But one cue, is to stay clear of those that insist you pay for the sponsorship. This is because paying for H1b Visa is illegal in the US and this might land you in big trouble. So do proper research on the background and profile of these firms to make sure of their legitimacy.
Applying to Global Consulting Firms
Big and Global enterprises are also a sure plug in attaining a H1 B visa sponsorship. For those outside the US, this is a very reliable route because it means you can get the job in any of their branches across the world and request for them to sponsor your H1B visa in the US. Firms like Accenture, Shell, Infosyc etc are one of the many multinational corporations that offer this potion. They have roles in different sectors ranging from HR to IT, so as long as one qualifies and meet the necessary requirements, it is great route.
Work in Your University/ Campus
Another way to get a H1B visa sponsorship would be to work in your university or a non-governmental institute. These sort of establishments do not have restrictions in their H1B cap limit, so you are always sure of getting sponsored as long as you get a job. Because the kind of jobs that fits into university jobs are academic and research related, those studying STEM courses and are hoping to stay glued in academics will most likely find it more alluring. The downside of this sponsorship route however is that the sponsorship is not transferable. This means that if you chose to switch to anothe employer outside the university, you will have to apply again. Asides that, this is a sound way of staying back to work legally in the US or canada.
After Sponsorhip, H1B Visa Registraion by Employer
After getting a sponsor, the sponsors are required to electronically register and pay a registration fee of about $10. This online registration process helps to reduce paperwork and overhead cost for employers seeking to file H1B petitions for their workers.
The registration takes place in a short window of 2 weeks in a Fiscal year, then closes. The selection process then follows suit using data of initially submitted registrations. Only those selected can proceed to petition for H1B visa. Beginning April 1, 2023, petitions for H-1B visas will be accepted until June 30, 2023.
For instance, for the 2024 Fiscal year, the initial registration commenced on March 1st, 2023 and closed March 17th, 2023. Only companies who submitted in the initial registration and selected will be qualified for the next stage-the petition filing. The H-1B petitions started accepting from April 1, 2023 until June 30, 2023.
USCIS will randomly select 65, 000 petitions for the H1B cap for the 2024 fiscal year, keeping 6,800 petitions for Singapore and Chile citizens. The remaining petitions will be reserved for a lottery for people with US advanced degrees.
After selection and approval, the H1B Visa will start counting from October, 1, 2023 for capped registrants.
Conclusion
You will observe that the process of getting your H1B visa takes about a year, so it is imperative that you start pursuing your sponsorship application quite early before the start of the Fiscal year. Take time to go through the different routes I have explained here and choose the best one for you. Also make sure you are follow due procedures during application to prevent you from being selected.
Watch recap from our last H1B summit:
I wish you the best of luck. If you have any further questions or fresh ideas on getting visa sponsorship, feel free to hit the comments.