Does AMD Sponsor H-1B Visas? What USCIS Data Shows, the 2026 Forum Claims and What to Ask a Recruiter

Forum posts say AMD stopped sponsoring H-1B transfers in 2026. Here is what the USCIS record shows and how to get a straight answer before you resign or apply.

Part of our guide to H-1B transfers.

Does AMD sponsor H-1B? On the public record, yes. In fiscal year 2024, the latest full year in our extract of the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, Advanced Micro Devices Inc had 159 initial and 482 continuing H-1B approvals, with 2 denials in 643 decisions (99.7% approved). Blind posts saying AMD stopped sponsoring H-1B transfers in 2026 are unverified forum claims: as of 2026-11-01 we found no AMD statement, USCIS notice or DOL action announcing a pause. Large employers usually approve sponsorship requisition by requisition, so the answer that counts is a written one about your role.

Status line, as of 2026-11-01:

• Wage-weighted H-1B selection has been in effect since 2026-02-27. FY2028 registration is not announced, and USCIS must give at least 30 days' notice.
• The $100,000 H-1B payment is not being collected. Courts have vacated the agency policies that implemented it, including in Global Nurse Force v. Trump (N.D. Cal., 2026-09-30). Proclamation 11069 stays in effect on paper until 2027-09-21, and the government has appealed.
• Ending the 60-day grace period for H-1B and other workers is proposed, with comments closing 2026-11-10. Today's 60 days still applies.

Does AMD sponsor H-1B visas in 2026?

Yes, as far as the public record shows. In fiscal year 2024, the latest full year we report, Advanced Micro Devices Inc had 159 initial and 482 continuing H-1B approvals and only two denials in USCIS data. As of 2026-11-01, forum claims that AMD paused sponsorship or transfers in 2026 remain unverified. Public data can't rule out a narrower change, such as fewer approved roles, so confirm your specific role in writing.

AMD's H-1B record, FY2024 (USCIS first decisions; as of 2026-11)

The year-by-year record is on AMD's H-1B employer page. Four things matter more than the totals.

They count USCIS's first decision, by the fiscal year of that decision. USCIS's guide to the H-1B Employer Data Hub says the data "reflects USCIS' first decision" and leaves out appeals, revocations and pending petitions. FY2024 shows what AMD filed and won, not what it approves today.

Newer years exist, and the Hub splits them by petition type. The H-1B Employer Data Hub now says it covers fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2026 (quarter 4), and it splits each employer's decisions by petition type, including new employment and change of employer. The FY2026 column on our AMD page is a partial year, so it undercounts. If the Hub's complete FY2026 shows AMD's new-employment or change-of-employer approvals falling sharply, that is a real signal, far stronger than a forum post. Compare other chip employers too, since 2026's fee and lottery changes affected filings at many companies.

The approval rate is not your odds. 99.7% covers the petitions AMD chose to file, not how many roles it funds. Our NVIDIA H-1B sponsorship breakdown applies the same test: split new hires from renewals, then check your role.

Check every legal name. Xilinx, which AMD acquired in February 2022, still files as Xilinx Inc. Third-party sponsor sites disagree about "AMD" partly because they track different entities and years.

What do the 2026 forum claims about AMD actually say?

Anonymous posts on Blind make three kinds of claim: that AMD stopped sponsoring H-1B transfers from January 2026, that it picked which current employees to enter in the March 2026 lottery registration, and that it limited new hires who need sponsorship. Replies in the same threads contradict each other; one says hires at MTS level and above still get sponsorship. None of the posts we read names a requisition or links an AMD document. They may describe what one person was told; they don't establish company policy.

They sound believable because 2026 brought real changes: Proclamation 11069 extending the $100,000 entry restriction, a wage-weighted lottery, a PERM suspension for eight named employers, and EO 14431, which makes layoffs a factor in H-1B oversight. In that climate, one recruiter's "we can't sponsor this req" easily becomes "AMD stopped sponsoring."

Common misconception, then correction (as of 2026-11-01)

A post can still be right about one team, since some requisitions open without sponsorship approval. Count it as one data point.

Does AMD sponsor H-1B transfers?

Public data can show whether USCIS approved transfers into AMD, year by year, which no forum can. The Hub counts Change of Employer approvals and denials for each employer, by the fiscal year of USCIS's first decision. Our FY2024 extract folds them into the 482 continuing approvals, so we can't give a transfer count here. Search the Hub for "Advanced Micro Devices" and read those columns for FY2026 (2025-10-01 to 2026-09-30), which covers the months the forum posts describe. Petitions filed late in a year may be decided the next, so recent months look thin.

DOL's Labor Condition Application (LCA) file is the earlier signal. Every H-1B petition, including a transfer, needs a certified LCA (Form ETA-9035), and DOL publishes them quarterly. DOL's FY2026 Q3 LCA record layout defines the CHANGE_EMPLOYER field as indicating that "requested worker(s) will begin employment for new employer, using the same classification currently held." An AMD LCA received in 2026 with a number in that field shows AMD preparing a transfer for that kind of role. An LCA is not a petition, though: employers certify LCAs that never get filed, and the current file covers determinations through 2026-06-30.

If you're on H-1B now and weighing an AMD offer:

• The transfer is a new Form I-129 that AMD's counsel files, marked "Change of employer." From 2026-11-09, USCIS accepts only the 09/09/26 edition.
• The $100,000 payment is not being collected as of 2026-11-01, though the USCIS I-129 page warns: "If this order is later lifted, DHS still plans to collect the payment." USCIS's H-1B page says the proclamation does not apply to an amendment, change of status or extension of stay it grants for someone inside the US, but does apply to a consular-notification petition or a denied in-country request. A transfer approved with an extension of stay sits on the first side (our reading). See what is true about the $100,000 fee and H-1B transfers for the edge cases.
• The grace period still applies. If your job ends before AMD files, the discretionary 60-day grace period under 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2) is still the rule. DHS proposed eliminating it for H-1B and other workers (comments close 2026-11-10, 11:59 p.m. ET); it stays a proposal until a final rule is published.
• Past year six? One-year AC21 extensions can rest on a PERM or I-140 filed 365+ days earlier, and under 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D)(6) the new employer need not be the one that filed it. Have an attorney confirm your case before you move.

Targeting Austin? Texas's freeze on new H-1B petitions (2026-01-27 to 2027-05-31) covers state agencies and public universities, not private employers like AMD.

A worked timeline for an H-1B holder with an AMD offer

Hypothetical: an H-1B engineer elsewhere gets a verbal offer from an AMD Austin team (as of 2026-11)

Does AMD hire OPT and STEM OPT students?

AMD has hired people into their first H-1B: 159 initial approvals in FY2024. The Hub doesn't say how many came from F-1 OPT or describe AMD's current new-grad hiring, so read each posting. Hiring you on OPT and sponsoring your H-1B later are separate decisions.

What matters for a student:

• STEM OPT has employer conditions. USCIS's STEM OPT page requires a valid E-Verify company ID and the employer's signature on Form I-983, the training plan. E-Verify Employer Search warns that a listed name doesn't mean every hiring site is enrolled, so ask HR too.
• Unemployment limits are unchanged: 90 days on post-completion OPT and 150 in total with STEM OPT, per SEVP's unemployment counter guidance.
• The lottery now weights wages. Under the weighted selection rule, in effect since 2026-02-27, a registration gets from one entry at Level I to four at Level IV, so the wage level of your AMD offer affects your odds. Our guide for ASIC and chip design engineers seeking H-1B sponsorship covers how levels map to design roles.
• FY2028 dates aren't set. USCIS's registration page still shows FY2027 (March 4-19, 2026, $215), and USCIS must announce at least 30 days ahead (8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(3)). March 2027 is an expectation, not a date.

Talk to your DSO about OPT start dates, STEM OPT timing and cap-gap. A recruiter can't answer those.

Does AMD sponsor green cards?

Green card sponsorship is a separate decision from H-1B, run through PERM labor certification and then Form I-140 on the employer's timing. Public files show whether AMD has PERM cases recently, not when it starts them for a given role.

• Look in the PERM disclosure file. DOL's OFLC Performance Data page posts PERM and LCA files; the latest (FY2026 Q3) cover determinations issued 2025-10-01 to 2026-06-30. Our guide to checking whether a company sponsors green cards shows how to filter it.
• AMD isn't under the PERM suspension. That action, announced 2026-10-08 with no published notice or end date as of 2026-11-01, named eight other employers, and it is a PERM action, not an H-1B one.
• PERM rules are unchanged. 20 CFR 656.17 still applies. DOL's PERM labor-market-test proposal (RIN 1205-AC29) cleared White House review on 2026-10-23 but has not been published.
• The queue is slow. As of 2026-10-21, DOL FLAG showed PERM analyst review working on January 2026 priority dates, with a 303-day average in its August 2026 row. After I-140 approval, your wait depends on country of birth. In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, the EB-2 Final Action Date is 2013-11-01 for India, 2021-10-01 for China and 2025-04-01 for the rest of the world. USCIS requires the Dates for Filing chart for November I-485s; consular cases always use Final Action Dates. The December bulletin was not out as of 2026-11-01.

How do I confirm whether AMD still sponsors? A verification checklist

No single source settles it. The public record shows whether AMD sponsors roles like yours; the recruiter tells you whether yours is one.

1. Read the posting on AMD's careers site for work-authorization language, and save the application's sponsorship question along with the requisition ID.
2. Search the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub for "Advanced Micro Devices" and "Xilinx", and read the New Employment and Change of Employer columns for the newest fiscal year.
3. Download the FY2026 Q3 LCA disclosure file from DOL's OFLC Performance Data page, filter EMPLOYER_NAME for "ADVANCED MICRO", sort by RECEIVED_DATE and read SOC_TITLE, WORKSITE_CITY, PW_WAGE_LEVEL and CHANGE_EMPLOYER for roles like yours. Our walkthrough on how to search LCA filings covers the spreadsheet steps.
4. Open the PERM disclosure file on the same DOL page if green card timing matters to you.
5. Check DOL's H-1B debarment list, and E-Verify Employer Search if you're on STEM OPT.
6. Email the recruiter the questions below and keep the written reply.
7. Take that reply to your DSO for anything F-1, OPT, STEM OPT or SEVIS, or to a licensed immigration attorney for transfers, petition timing and AC21.

What each signal proves (as of 2026-11)

What to ask an AMD recruiter

Ask at the first screen, not after the final round, and get the answer in email. Adapt this:

"Before we go further, can you confirm in writing whether requisition [ID] is approved for H-1B sponsorship? I'm currently on [F-1 STEM OPT through DATE / H-1B with my current employer], so this role would need [a cap registration in the next lottery / a change-of-employer petition before my start date]. Does AMD's policy for this role also include green card sponsorship, and roughly when does that usually start?"

On STEM OPT, add: is the hiring entity enrolled in E-Verify, and will your manager sign Form I-983? "We'll figure it out later" is not a yes, and neither is silence. For a wider list of chip employers to target in parallel, see our guide to semiconductor and chip design companies that sponsor H-1B.

Common mistakes

• Treating a Blind thread as policy, or as proof against it. Weigh it against the Hub, the LCA file and a written answer.
• Reading a partial year as a collapse. A year-to-date column always undercounts. Compare full fiscal years.
• Searching only "AMD." Sponsor databases list legal entities. Search Advanced Micro Devices and Xilinx separately, and skip Amdocs, an unrelated company that also matches.
• Resigning before you have a written yes and a filed petition. The 60-day grace period is discretionary and the subject of a pending proposal; ask an attorney about notice timing.
• Assuming the $100,000 fee applies to you. It isn't collected as of 2026-11-01, and USCIS's own guidance excluded extensions of stay it grants inside the US (our reading for transfers).

Frequently asked questions

Is AMD still sponsoring H-1B in 2026?

As of 2026-11-01 we found no AMD statement, USCIS notice or DOL action announcing a pause. In FY2024, the latest full year we report from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, Advanced Micro Devices Inc had 159 initial and 482 continuing H-1B approvals and 2 denials. Posts on Blind claiming a 2026 pause are unverified. Check the Hub's FY2026 figures and confirm your specific requisition with the recruiter in writing.

Does AMD sponsor H-1B transfers?

Public data shows it year by year. The USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub counts Change of Employer approvals for each employer, so you can check how many transfers into AMD USCIS approved in FY2026. DOL's LCA disclosure file (latest FY2026 Q3, through 2026-06-30) is an earlier signal in its CHANGE_EMPLOYER field. Neither speaks for your requisition, so get a written yes for your role before you resign.

Does AMD hire OPT students?

AMD had 159 initial H-1B approvals in FY2024. Those are petitions for new H-1B employment, a route many people take from F-1 OPT, though the Hub doesn't say how many came from OPT. For STEM OPT, the hiring entity must be enrolled in E-Verify and sign Form I-983. A later H-1B still needs a lottery selection, and FY2028 registration had not been announced as of 2026-11-01.

Does AMD sponsor green cards?

Green card sponsorship (PERM labor certification, then Form I-140) is a separate employer decision from H-1B sponsorship. You can see AMD's recent PERM decisions in DOL's PERM disclosure file (latest FY2026 Q3), and AMD is not one of the eight employers DOL named in its 2026-10-08 PERM suspension. Ask the recruiter when AMD starts green card sponsorship for your role.

How do I confirm whether an employer still sponsors H-1B?

Use four checks. Read the posting and the application's sponsorship question, look up the employer's newest fiscal year in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, look for its recent LCAs in DOL's latest disclosure file (FY2026 Q3, through 2026-06-30), and get a written recruiter answer for your requisition, level and visa status. Bring that answer to your DSO for OPT timing or to an immigration attorney for petition questions.

Sources

• USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding Our H-1B Employer Data Hub
• DOL OFLC, Performance Data (LCA and PERM disclosure files) and the FY2026 Q3 LCA record layout
• USCIS, Form I-129 (fee status and edition notice) and H-1B Specialty Occupations (who the $100,000 payment covers)
• N.D. Cal., Global Nurse Force v. Trump order of 2026-09-30
• Federal Register, Proclamation 11069, the weighted selection final rule and the proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period
• USCIS, H-1B electronic registration process and STEM OPT extension; SEVP, unemployment counter
• DOL WHD, H-1B debarment list; DOL FLAG, processing times
• E-Verify, Employer Search; State Department, Visa Bulletin
• 8 CFR 214.2 via Cornell LII

How we checked this: We read the USCIS, DOL, SEVP, Federal Register and court pages listed above on 2026-11-01 and 2026-11-02, including the Data Hub's field definitions and DOL's LCA record layout. AMD figures are FY2024 first decisions from our extract of the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. We read the Blind threads as claims, not facts, and did not link them.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-20, I-94 and approval notices, and your DSO or immigration attorney, govern your situation.

AMD is one target among many chip employers, and the strongest search runs several in parallel. If you're on OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B and want help building a list of employers that are actually filing for roles like yours, F1Jobs can help.