Does Citi Sponsor H-1B Visas? Citibank, Markets and Tech Entities Explained for OPT Candidates
Citi files H-1B petitions under more than one legal name, and the entity on your offer letter decides your lottery registration, your LCA and your STEM OPT paperwork.
Part of our guide to companies that sponsor H-1B visas.
Yes. Citi sponsors H-1B visas, and it files under more than one legal name. In the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub for fiscal year 2024, Citibank, N.A. received 299 initial-employment approvals and 567 continuing approvals, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Citi's markets entity, received 80 initial and 73 continuing approvals. So the useful question for an OPT candidate is not only "does Citi sponsor H1B" but which Citi entity is hiring you, because that entity registers you for the lottery, files your Labor Condition Application and Form I-129, and signs your STEM OPT training plan.
Status as of 2026-11-01: wage-weighted H-1B selection is 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 vacated the agency policies that implemented it (most recently Global Nurse Force v. Trump, 2026-09-30), while Proclamation 11069 stays in effect on paper until 2027-09-21. The H-1B worker grace period of up to 60 days still applies; eliminating it is only proposed, with comments closing 2026-11-10.
Does Citi sponsor H-1B? The short answer
Citi sponsors H-1B workers through at least two high-volume legal entities. USCIS recorded 870 first decisions for Citibank, N.A. and 154 for Citigroup Global Markets Inc. in FY2024, with approval rates of 99.5% and 99.4%. Sponsorship is still decided role by role, and a first H-1B from OPT must clear the wage-weighted lottery.
If you are weighing Citi against other banks, our guide to banks that sponsor H-1B for technology and data roles compares the field, and JPMorgan Chase's H-1B data is the closest single-bank comparison.
Citi H-1B data by entity (FY2024)
The table uses the exact names the Hub prints, so you can search them yourself.
USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, FY2024 first decisions, as extracted for our company pages (as of 2026-11)
| Petitioner (name in the Hub) | Initial approvals | Initial denials | Continuing approvals | Continuing denials | Total decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITIBANK N A | 299 | 2 | 567 | 2 | 870 | 99.5% |
| CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC | 80 | 1 | 73 | 0 | 154 | 99.4% |
| Both entities (our arithmetic) | 379 | 3 | 640 | 2 | 1,024 | 99.5% |
What "initial" and "continuing" mean
The Hub holds "the first decisions USCIS makes on petitions for initial and continuing employment" (USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub); appeals and revocations are left out. Its glossary keys each count to the box the employer checks in Part 2, Question 2 of Form I-129. "New employment" is the box for someone not yet in H-1B, such as an F-1 student whose first H-1B follows a lottery selection. Continuing covers people already in H-1B status: same-employer extensions and, in our reading (the glossary does not map every box to a column), amendments and transfers in from another employer.
By our arithmetic, initial approvals were about 35% of Citibank, N.A.'s FY2024 approvals (299 of 866) and about 52% of Citigroup Global Markets Inc.'s (80 of 153). One year is not a trend, but most of the bank entity's volume was people already in H-1B status, not new entrants coming off OPT.
Three caveats before you read too much into it
- The city is a mailing address. USCIS's guide to the Hub says the location "is not necessarily the beneficiary(ies) work location."
- Names follow tax IDs. "The most common spelling of employer name per unique tax ID is used." Our company pages cover only employers above a volume threshold, so search the Hub for "CITI" and read every row.
- An approval rate is not your odds. It measures petitions Citi chose to file, after the hiring decision and the lottery. The Hub now says it covers FY2026 Q4; pull newer years from the Hub itself, not third-party rankings.
Which Citi entity files H-1B petitions?
The entity that employs you files, and your offer letter names it. Citibank, N.A. is Citi's national bank ("N.A." stands for National Association); Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is its markets entity. Many technology and banking roles sit in Citibank, N.A., while markets roles often sit in a different entity such as Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Two "Citi" offers can come from two different petitioners, and only your letter settles which one is yours.
What the entity on your offer letter controls (as of 2026-11)
| Step | Who acts | Why the entity matters |
|---|---|---|
| H-1B registration (the lottery) | The prospective employer, as registrant | USCIS: "You can only file an H-1B cap-subject petition if you receive a selection notice for the beneficiary of the petition." In our reading, a sister entity that did not register you and get that selection cannot file your cap petition. |
| Labor Condition Application (ETA-9035) | The employer, with DOL | Sets the occupation, wage and worksite for that entity |
| Form I-129 petition | The same employer, with USCIS | Becomes the petitioner on your I-797 approval notice |
| STEM OPT Form I-983 and I-765 | The employer signs the I-983; you list it on the I-765 | You give "your employer's name as listed in E-Verify" and its E-Verify Company Identification Number |
| Internal move between Citi entities | The new entity | Generally treated as a new employer: an H-1B petition from that entity, or a new I-983 for STEM OPT |
Quotes are from the USCIS H-1B electronic registration page and the USCIS STEM OPT page.
The last row is the trap. A reorganisation that moves your team to another Citi entity can leave your manager and desk unchanged while, for immigration purposes, your employer changes. Ask Citi's immigration team before the move takes effect, and tell your DSO if you are on STEM OPT.
Platform and reliability engineers can see how those roles are titled and levelled in our guide to DevOps and SRE sponsorship at banks and fintech firms.
Does Citi sponsor H-1B for analysts?
The Data Hub cannot tell you, because it counts petitions, not job titles. DOL's Labor Condition Application disclosure files can: they list employer, job title, occupation code, offered wage and worksite, and the latest public file runs through 2026-06-30 (FY2026 Q3) on the DOL OFLC performance data page. Filter by the exact entity and the title you were offered.
Markets analysts vs technology analysts
- Entity. A markets analyst offer will often name Citigroup Global Markets Inc.; a technology or data analyst offer will often name Citibank, N.A.
- Timing. Bank analyst programs typically recruit a year ahead, so for a 2027 start on OPT the season that matters is FY2028 registration, which USCIS has not announced (March 2027 is an expectation, not a date). Technology teams more often hire against open roles through the year.
- Wage level. Under the weighted lottery, entries are "based generally on the highest OEWS wage level that the beneficiary's proffered wage will equal or exceed" (USCIS registration page), from four entries at Level IV down to one at Level I. The level depends on occupation code and work location, so two offers at similar pay can land at different levels. See how the wage-weighted lottery works and the final rule.
Common misconception: "AI has cut bank analyst classes by two-thirds." Correction: Fortune (2026-06-07) reported that figure as a McKinsey partner's estimate; it is not a headcount measure. Revelio Labs (2026-10-13, updated 10-22) puts junior headcount at US banks 4.7% below its October 2022 level, and its authors read that as banks "restructuring around AI rather than being automated by it."
Summer analyst internships and CPT
A paid summer analyst internship during your degree generally needs CPT. SEVP's BCM 2608-01 allows CPT only "if its absence would make the attainment of a degree an impossibility." That guidance is in effect and challenged in AAU v. DHS, with a preliminary-injunction hearing set for 2026-11-06 at 3:00 p.m. (check the court docket for the outcome after that date). Some schools have paused CPT; Rochester has since 2026-08-28, except for degree-required training. Before you accept a summer 2027 offer, ask your DSO whether your school will authorize CPT for it, or whether pre-completion OPT, which uses up part of your 12 months, is an option.
Does Citibank hire OPT and STEM OPT students?
Hiring you on post-completion OPT needs no sponsorship, because the EAD is yours. STEM OPT puts duties on the employer: the employing Citi entity must be enrolled in E-Verify, sign your Form I-983, and attest that it "will have and maintain a bona fide employer-employee relationship with the student" (USCIS STEM OPT page). Your unemployment clock keeps running while you look: the SEVIS Help Hub sets 90 days on post-completion OPT and 150 days in aggregate on STEM OPT (as of 2026-11-01).
Citi is a for-profit bank, so it is cap-subject: a first H-1B for someone never counted against the cap goes through registration. If a Citi entity's registration for you is selected and it timely files a change of status, cap-gap extends your F-1 status and OPT work authorization to April 1 of the fiscal year requested, or the H-1B start date if earlier. USCIS says it ends automatically if the petition is denied, withdrawn, revoked or rejected, and a student who files during the F-1 grace period gets the status extension but no permission to work.
Your route into a Citi H-1B (as of 2026-11-01)
| Your situation | Lottery? | $100,000 payment | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| On OPT or STEM OPT in the US; a Citi entity registers you and files a change of status | Yes, wage-weighted | Not collected; a change of status USCIS grants inside the US was never covered | DSO for cap-gap and SEVIS; Citi's immigration counsel for the petition |
| On H-1B elsewhere; Citi files a transfer | Generally no, if previously counted against the cap | Not collected; extensions and changes granted inside the US were never covered | Citi's counsel or your own immigration attorney |
| Outside the US without an H-1B visa, or a consular-notification petition | Yes, if never counted | Not collected; would apply if collection resumed | An immigration attorney before you plan travel |
On transfers, the USCIS H-1B page says you "may begin working for the new employer as soon as they properly file a non-frivolous Form I-129 petition on your behalf." On the payment, the USCIS I-129 page (updated 2026-10-30) says a court "vacated agency guidance implementing the $100,000 payment requirement" and "If this order is later lifted, DHS still plans to collect the payment." That court was the District of Massachusetts, on 2026-06-08 (California v. Mullin); the Global Nurse Force order of 2026-09-30 likewise vacated the agency policies, not Proclamation 11069 itself. Both rulings are on appeal. If collection resumed, a change of status that USCIS denies would be covered, so take change-of-status questions to an immigration attorney.
How to check a Citi role before you rely on it
- Read your offer letter or the posting's legal footer and copy the exact entity name.
- Search the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub for that name ("CITIBANK N A", "CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC") and read the initial-employment columns.
- Filter DOL's FY2026 Q3 LCA disclosure file by entity and job title for recent wages and worksites.
- Look up the entity in E-Verify's participating-employer search if you will need STEM OPT. It finds only the name the employer enrolled under (E-Verify says that can be a legal name, a trade name or an abbreviation), so an empty result is a question for HR, not an answer.
- Ask the recruiter in writing whether the role is eligible for FY2028 registration and which entity would register you.
- Report your employer through the SEVP Portal or your DSO, as your school instructs; on STEM OPT, submit a new Form I-983 to your DSO if the entity changes.
- Bring petition questions (timing, change of status or consular processing, internal moves) to Citi's immigration counsel, who represents the employer, or to your own licensed immigration attorney.
Does Citi sponsor green cards?
The H-1B Hub does not cover green cards, and we print no Citi PERM count here. Search DOL's PERM disclosure files (latest public file through 2026-06-30, on the DOL performance page) for the exact entity, then compare it with that entity's LCA volume, as our PERM lookup guide shows.
Two dated checks help. Citi is not among the eight employers whose PERM applications DOL said on 2026-10-08 it would not accept or process (Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata and Wipro, as TechCrunch reported), and per Mayer Brown that action "does not suspend any employer from the H-1B program." Nor is Citi on DOL's H-1B debarment list, effective as of 2026-10-01. Neither check promises that a given team will file.
On timing, DOL's FLAG processing-times page showed PERM analyst review at January 2026 priority dates as of 2026-10-21, with an average analyst review of 303 days (the August 2026 figure); check the live page. In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, EB-2 Final Action Dates are 2013-11-01 for India 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, and the December bulletin is not out. Your country of birth shapes the wait more than your employer does.
Will Citi layoffs affect H-1B sponsorship?
We have no verified, dated Citi layoff figure, so we print none. Rely on Citi's own announcements and SEC filings and on state WARN notices (the DOL WARN page explains the law), not social media totals. Three rules matter:
- PERM. Under 20 CFR 656.17(k), after "a layoff by the employer applicant in the area of intended employment within 6 months of filing" in the same or a related occupation, the employer must document that it notified and considered all potentially qualified laid-off US workers, and the results. In our reading, a layoff can delay a PERM filing without ending H-1B sponsorship.
- EO 14431. Executive Order 14431 (signed 2026-09-18) is in effect as a directive telling agencies to treat employer layoffs as a factor in H-1B administration. As of 2026-11-01 no public DOL, USCIS or State guidance implements it, and nothing in it makes a denial automatic.
- Your own job. A laid-off H-1B worker still has the discretionary grace period of up to 60 days. Eliminating it is only proposed; comments close 2026-11-10 at 11:59 p.m. ET (check the Federal Register for the outcome after that date). Our 60-day grace period guide covers the options. On STEM OPT, the 150-day aggregate unemployment counter applies instead; call your DSO the same week.
Common mistakes
- Stopping at the first "Citi" result. The Hub prints legal names, not the brand; match the row to the entity on your offer.
- Counting continuing approvals as new-hire slots. Most of Citibank, N.A.'s FY2024 approvals were for people already in H-1B status; first-time entrants, OPT students included, show up in the initial column.
- Assuming an internal move is paperwork-free. Another Citi entity is generally a new employer for H-1B and STEM OPT purposes.
- Treating 99.5% as your odds. The hiring decision and the lottery come first.
- Assuming the $100,000 payment hits your OPT-to-H-1B switch. It is not collected, and a granted change of status inside the US was never covered.
- Repeating a layoff number you cannot date. Use filings and WARN notices.
Frequently asked questions
Does Citi sponsor H-1B for analysts?
USCIS approved 299 FY2024 initial-employment H-1B petitions for Citibank, N.A. and 80 for Citigroup Global Markets Inc., but the Data Hub shows no job titles. Filter DOL's LCA disclosure files by the entity on your offer to see analyst titles. A first H-1B from OPT still goes through the wage-weighted lottery, in effect since 2026-02-27.
Does Citibank hire OPT and STEM OPT students?
Post-completion OPT needs no sponsorship because the EAD is yours. STEM OPT requires the employing Citi entity to be enrolled in E-Verify and to sign your Form I-983. As of 2026-11-01 the unemployment limits are still 90 days on OPT and 150 days in aggregate on STEM OPT.
Which Citi entity files H-1B petitions?
The legal entity that employs you files, and your offer letter names it. The two highest-volume Citi petitioners in the USCIS Data Hub extract behind our company pages are Citibank, N.A., with 870 FY2024 first decisions, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., the markets entity, with 154. That entity registers you, files the LCA and Form I-129, and signs a STEM OPT Form I-983.
Does Citi sponsor green cards?
The H-1B data does not show green-card filings, so search DOL's PERM disclosure files (latest through 2026-06-30) for the exact entity name. Citi is not among the eight employers whose PERM applications DOL said on 2026-10-08 it would not accept or process. As of 2026-10-21, DOL's PERM analyst review had reached January 2026 priority dates.
Will Citi layoffs affect sponsorship?
Possibly, in three ways. A PERM filing within 6 months of a layoff in the same or a related occupation in the area of intended employment must show that laid-off US workers were notified and considered. EO 14431, in effect as a directive, tells agencies to treat layoffs as a factor in H-1B administration, with no implementing guidance and no automatic denial as of 2026-11-01. A laid-off H-1B worker still has the grace period of up to 60 days, which DHS has only proposed to eliminate (comments close 2026-11-10).
Sources
- USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding Our H-1B Employer Data Hub
- USCIS H-1B electronic registration process
- USCIS H-1B specialty occupations and Form I-129
- USCIS STEM OPT extension and USCIS cap-gap extension
- SEVIS Help Hub, unemployment counter
- Weighted selection final rule, Proclamation 11069, EO 14431 and the grace-period NPRM
- Global Nurse Force v. Trump order, 2026-09-30 and the AAU v. DHS docket
- DOL OFLC performance data, DOL FLAG processing times, DOL H-1B debarment list and 20 CFR 656.17
- TechCrunch on the 2026-10-08 PERM action and Mayer Brown on its scope
- State Department Visa Bulletin and E-Verify participating-employer search
- Revelio Labs on junior bank headcount
How we checked this: employer figures come from the FY2024 USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub extract behind our company pages; rules, dates and quotes come from the USCIS, DOL, Federal Register and court pages above, read on 2026-11-01 and re-checked on 2026-11-02.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-20, EAD, I-797 and I-94, your DSO and a licensed immigration attorney govern your case.
If you are on OPT or STEM OPT and want help aiming your search at employers that file, entity by entity, F1Jobs works with international candidates on exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Does Citi sponsor H-1B for analysts?
USCIS approved 299 FY2024 initial-employment H-1B petitions for Citibank, N.A. and 80 for Citigroup Global Markets Inc., but the Data Hub shows no job titles. Filter DOL's LCA disclosure files by the entity on your offer to see analyst titles. A first H-1B from OPT still goes through the wage-weighted lottery, in effect since 2026-02-27.
Does Citibank hire OPT and STEM OPT students?
Post-completion OPT needs no sponsorship because the EAD is yours. STEM OPT requires the employing Citi entity to be enrolled in E-Verify and to sign your Form I-983. As of 2026-11-01 the unemployment limits are still 90 days on OPT and 150 days in aggregate on STEM OPT.
Which Citi entity files H-1B petitions?
The legal entity that employs you files, and your offer letter names it. The two highest-volume Citi petitioners in the USCIS Data Hub extract behind our company pages are Citibank, N.A., with 870 FY2024 first decisions, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., the markets entity, with 154. That entity registers you, files the LCA and Form I-129, and signs a STEM OPT Form I-983.
Does Citi sponsor green cards?
The H-1B data does not show green-card filings, so search DOL's PERM disclosure files (latest through 2026-06-30) for the exact entity name. Citi is not among the eight employers whose PERM applications DOL said on 2026-10-08 it would not accept or process. As of 2026-10-21, DOL's PERM analyst review had reached January 2026 priority dates.
Will Citi layoffs affect sponsorship?
Possibly, in three ways. A PERM filing within 6 months of a layoff in the same or a related occupation in the area of intended employment must show that laid-off US workers were notified and considered. EO 14431, in effect as a directive, tells agencies to treat layoffs as a factor in H-1B administration, with no implementing guidance and no automatic denial as of 2026-11-01. A laid-off H-1B worker still has the grace period of up to 60 days, which DHS has only proposed to eliminate (comments close 2026-11-10).