Does T-Mobile Sponsor H-1B Visas? Why Most Filings Are Extensions and How New Grads Still Get In
T-Mobile received 396 H-1B approvals in FY2024, but only 28 were for new employment. Here is what that split means for your OPT, STEM OPT or transfer plan.
Part of our guide to companies that sponsor H-1B visas.
Yes, T-Mobile sponsors H-1B visas, but mostly for people who already hold H-1B status. In fiscal year 2024, USCIS recorded 396 H-1B worker approvals and 2 denials for T-Mobile USA Inc. of Bellevue, Washington. Only 28 of those approvals were for initial employment, the bucket that captures people starting H-1B work. The other 368, about 93%, were continuing employment: extensions, amendments and changes of employer. So if you are asking "does T-Mobile sponsor H1B for an OPT new grad?", the realistic route is OPT or STEM OPT first, then the lottery. If you already hold H-1B, a transfer is the wider door.
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 payment under Proclamation 11069 is in effect on paper but blocked by court orders and not collected; even if collection resumed, in-US changes of status, amendments and extensions that USCIS grants were never covered (USCIS H-1B page, 2026-09-21). The STEM OPT 180-day automatic extension is in effect for timely filers; the 2026-10-14 EAD final rule did not change it.
Does T-Mobile sponsor H-1B? The short answer
T-Mobile USA Inc. sponsors H-1B workers. USCIS's H-1B Employer Data Hub shows 396 approvals and 2 denials in FY2024, a 99.5% approval rate on first decisions. Only 28 were initial-employment approvals, so most of its H-1B activity involves people already in H-1B status. Because T-Mobile is cap-subject, a new grad's realistic route is OPT or STEM OPT, then the cap lottery.
The figures below come from the USCIS extract behind our T-Mobile USA Inc. H-1B company page, which draws on the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. They cover FY2024, October 2023 through September 2024; the company page also shows other years.
T-Mobile USA Inc., H-1B first decisions, FY2024 (as of 2026-11)
| Measure | FY2024 | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Initial approvals | 28 | Workers starting H-1B employment with T-Mobile, including people switching from another status such as F-1 |
| Initial denials | 0 | No first-decision denials in the new-employment bucket |
| Continuing approvals | 368 | Extensions, amendments and changes of employer for people already in H-1B |
| Continuing denials | 2 | Very few first-decision denials on renewals and transfers |
| Total decisions | 398 | Workers, not job openings |
| Approval rate | 99.5% | 396 approvals out of 398 first decisions (our arithmetic) |
| Continuing share of approvals | about 93% | 368 of 396 (our arithmetic) |
A second page, /companies/t-mobile-usa-inc-wa-2, exists for a record spelled "T-MOBILE USA, INC." It has no FY2024 row, so it is not in the table above. USCIS uses "the most common spelling of employer name per unique tax ID," so a brand with more than one tax ID, or a spelling that shifts between data years, can show up as more than one record. Check both when you research.
What "initial" and "continuing" mean in the H-1B data
Initial means a petition for new H-1B employment. Continuing means everything that keeps or changes an H-1B the worker already holds. For T-Mobile, that split is the whole story.
USCIS's Understanding Our H-1B Employer Data Hub page ties new employment to petitions marked "New employment" on Part 2, Question 2 of Form I-129. That covers a worker coming from abroad with no US classification, a worker starting with a new employer from a different classification (for example, F-1 OPT or STEM OPT), or an employee moving into H-1B from a different classification with the same employer. Continuation is "Continuation of previously approved employment without change with the same employer." USCIS's page lists further categories (change with the same employer, new concurrent, change of employer and amended) but does not map them to the two summary buckets; the initial-versus-continuing split on our company pages counts change of employer (a transfer), change with the same employer and amended petitions as continuing.
Three caveats on the same USCIS page change how you should read T-Mobile's row:
- "Number represents counts of workers approved." These are people, not job openings and not total headcount.
- "Subsequent decisions, such as on an appeal or revocation, are excluded." The 99.5% is a first-decision rate.
- The city reflects the employer's mailing address and "is not necessarily the beneficiary(ies) work location." Bellevue is the address on the petitions, not proof that every H-1B worker sits there.
The fiscal year also follows the date USCIS first recorded the decision, not the date the petition was filed or the year of the lottery.
Common misconception: "T-Mobile files about 400 H-1Bs a year, so it hires about 400 international graduates a year."
Correction: In FY2024 only 28 approvals were for initial employment. The 368 continuing approvals were people already in H-1B status: current employees renewing or changing roles, and experienced hires transferring in. Even the 28 need not all be new grads, because the new-employment bucket also includes workers coming from abroad and people switching from visa types other than F-1.
Does T-Mobile sponsor H-1B for new grads?
Yes, but the door is narrow: 28 initial approvals in FY2024. T-Mobile is a for-profit company, not one of the cap-exempt employer types (universities, their affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or government research organizations, our reading of 8 CFR 214.2(h)), so a new grad's first H-1B with T-Mobile generally needs a lottery selection.
That makes OPT and STEM OPT the real entry point for T-Mobile OPT jobs. The employer hires you on OPT, registers you in a cap season, and if your degree is on the DHS STEM list, STEM OPT can add up to 24 months and more lottery attempts. Since 2026-02-27, selection is wage-weighted under the weighted selection final rule: entries run from four at wage Level IV down to one at Level I. If your offered wage only reaches Level I or II, your registration carries fewer entries than one at Level III or IV, so read our breakdown of how wage levels change your H-1B lottery odds before you negotiate.
A worked timeline for an OPT new grad (hypothetical dates)
Say you finish a master's in computer science in May 2026 and your post-completion OPT EAD runs 2026-06-15 to 2027-06-14. These dates only illustrate the mechanics; your own EAD, I-20 and DSO govern.
Hypothetical OPT-to-H-1B path with a cap-subject employer (rules as of 2026-11)
| Date | What happens | Rule and status on 2026-11-01 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-15 | OPT starts; unemployment days count until you report an employer | 90 days on OPT, 150 in aggregate with STEM OPT; in effect |
| Spring 2027 (expected only) | The employer submits your FY2028 registration | Not announced; USCIS must give at least 30 days' notice; weighted selection in effect |
| Before 2027-06-14 | The STEM OPT I-765 must reach USCIS before the EAD expires; the DSO recommends it after receiving a signed I-983, and the I-765 lists the employer's E-Verify company ID | A timely filing keeps the 180-day automatic extension; a filing after expiry gets none |
| If selected | The employer files a cap petition asking for a change of status | Cap-gap extends F-1 status and OPT work to April 1 of FY2028 (2028-04-01), or the petition start date if earlier |
| 2027-10-01 | Earliest FY2028 H-1B start date | Change of status takes effect on the approved start date |
| If not selected | STEM OPT could run to 2029-06-14 | Two more registration seasons, with dates not yet announced |
Two details matter here. First, USCIS's STEM OPT page says that if you file on time, "we will automatically extend your employment authorization for 180 days." Second, cap-gap (explained on USCIS's cap-gap page) applies only to a timely, cap-subject change-of-status petition, and it ends automatically if the petition is denied, withdrawn, revoked or rejected. On the $100,000 payment, a granted in-US change of status was never covered, but a denied change of status or a consular-notification petition would be if collection resumed.
Does T-Mobile accept H-1B transfers?
The data points that way but cannot prove it. Continuing approvals, which include changes of employer, made up 368 of T-Mobile's 396 FY2024 approvals, but the summary does not separate transfers from extensions, so 368 is not a transfer count.
Mechanically, if you hold H-1B with another employer and have already been counted against the cap, a T-Mobile petition for you is generally a change-of-employer petition outside the lottery. Under the portability rule in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(2)(i)(H), an eligible worker can generally start with the new employer once a nonfrivolous petition is filed, or on the requested start date if that is later; T-Mobile's immigration counsel confirms your actual start date. The exception to know: moving from a cap-exempt employer such as a university to a cap-subject one like T-Mobile generally needs a cap selection unless you were already counted against the cap within your six-year period. An attorney should confirm which case you are in. Our guide to companies most likely to accept an H-1B transfer shows how to read this renewal-heavy pattern across employers.
H-1B rules that touch a T-Mobile path (as of 2026-11-01)
| Rule | Status on 2026-11-01 | Who it touches | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wage-weighted selection | In effect since 2026-02-27 | New grads registering | Know your offer's wage level |
| FY2028 registration | Not announced (30 days' notice required) | New grads | Watch the USCIS registration page |
| $100,000 payment (Proclamation 11069) | In effect on paper; blocked, not collected | Consular-notification petitions; never in-US grants | An in-US change of status or transfer that USCIS grants was never covered |
| STEM OPT 180-day extension | In effect; unchanged by the 2026-10-14 EAD rule | STEM OPT filers | Applies only to a filing made before the OPT EAD expires |
| Ending the worker 60-day grace period (RIN 1615-AD22) | Proposed; comments close 2026-11-10 | H-1B holders between jobs | The current grace period of up to 60 days still applies |
| Removing deference to prior approvals (RIN 1615-AD26) | Proposed; comments close 2026-11-13 | H-1B extensions | Current deference still applies |
| I-129 form edition | Scheduled; only the 09/09/26 edition from 2026-11-09 | Employer filings | Your employer's counsel handles it |
Both proposals are on the Federal Register: the grace-period NPRM and the deference NPRM. Neither is a final rule; after comments close, check the docket / Federal Register for any outcome.
Is T-Mobile E-Verify for STEM OPT?
STEM OPT only works with an employer that is enrolled in E-Verify and signs Form I-983. We did not independently confirm T-Mobile's enrollment for this article, so check it yourself before you count on a STEM OPT extension there.
USCIS's STEM OPT page says the employer must "be enrolled in E-Verify," shown by a valid E-Verify company identification number, and must attest to the training relationship "by signing the Form I-983, Training Plan for STEM OPT Students." The E-Verify Employer Search lets you look up enrolled employers, with two caveats on the page: "The public may not recognize business names that employers use," and employers "may choose which of their sites participate." Search the legal entity on your offer letter, check your hiring-site state, and ask HR for the E-Verify company ID you will list on the I-765. Our walkthrough on building a STEM OPT target list from E-Verify employers shows the search in detail.
One timing note: E-Verify is extended "for the duration of the CR," the funding law that runs through 2026-12-11 (CRS), so it lapses unless Congress passes funding by then. In the 2025 shutdown, E-Verify went offline on 2025-10-01 and returned around 10-08 or 10-09. If your STEM OPT start falls near 2026-12-11, ask HR how onboarding works during a pause.
Does T-Mobile sponsor green cards?
The H-1B data cannot tell you. For most employees, green card sponsorship starts with PERM labor certification at the Department of Labor, and DOL publishes PERM decisions in quarterly disclosure files on its OFLC performance data page; the latest public file is FY2026 Q3. Search it for T-Mobile's legal name, and use our PERM-to-LCA ratio test to judge how routinely an employer files.
Two dated checks, as of 2026-11-01. T-Mobile is not among the eight employers (Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini) that DOL announced on 2026-10-08 it was suspending from PERM, as summarized by Ellis; Mayer Brown notes the action "does not suspend any employer from the H-1B program," and DOL has published no end date. T-Mobile is also not one of the six willful violators on DOL's H-1B debarment list, which DOL marks "effective as of October 1, 2026." PERM rules themselves are unchanged: DOL's labor-market-test proposal (RIN 1205-AC29) cleared White House review on 2026-10-23 but had not been published as of 2026-11-01.
What tech roles at T-Mobile sponsor visas?
The USCIS Hub has no job titles. DOL's LCA disclosure files do: each Labor Condition Application record lists the job title, occupation (SOC) code, wage level and worksite, so filtering them for T-Mobile shows which roles it has filed for. The latest LCA file is FY2026 Q3 (through 2026-06-30), on the same DOL page. An LCA is a step before the H-1B petition, so it shows intent to sponsor a role, not an approval.
Whatever the title, the job must also qualify as a specialty occupation, meaning a bachelor's or higher degree "in a directly related specific specialty (or its equivalent)" is the minimum for entry (USCIS H-1B page). Search the LCA file for titles near yours in software, data, network, RF and security work, then compare the SOC code and wage level with your offer. Our telecom and 5G engineering H-1B guide explains how network, RF, systems and software roles differ across carriers and vendors. Do not read silence in a posting as a no. A single-vendor review by Match.dev, which read 2,718 engineering roles at 136 companies on 2026-10-13, reported that 88.1% of postings said nothing about sponsorship. For how T-Mobile's Bellevue base compares with Seattle-area peers on pay and competition, see our Seattle H-1B job market and salary guide.
How to check T-Mobile's sponsorship yourself
- Search "T-Mobile" in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and note every matching record.
- Download the latest LCA disclosure file from DOL OFLC's performance data page and filter for T-Mobile to list job titles, wage levels and worksites.
- Compare those wage levels with your offer; the level your offered pay reaches sets your entries in the weighted lottery.
- Search the legal entity on your offer letter in the E-Verify Employer Search and confirm your hiring-site state.
- Open the PERM disclosure file on the same DOL page if a green card is part of your plan.
- Ask the recruiter, in writing, whether the role will register candidates in a future H-1B cap season.
- For STEM OPT, the DSO needs the signed Form I-983 before recommending the extension in SEVIS. Take F-1 and SEVIS questions to your DSO, and petition or status-strategy questions to a licensed immigration attorney.
Common mistakes
- Reading total filings as new-grad hiring. 398 decisions in FY2024 are not 398 openings for graduates; 28 approvals were for initial employment.
- Treating 368 continuing approvals as a transfer count. The summary mixes extensions, amendments and changes of employer.
- Checking one record, or trusting the city. T-Mobile has a second, differently spelled record, and the Hub city is a mailing address, not your worksite.
- Letting the OPT EAD expire before filing STEM OPT. A late filing gets no 180-day extension.
- Assuming E-Verify enrollment covers every site. Employers choose which sites participate; confirm yours.
- Believing the $100,000 payment hits an in-US change of status. It never covered in-US grants, and as of 2026-11-01 it is blocked.
- Hearing "we sponsor" as a promise. Even a willing sponsor cannot guarantee a lottery selection.
Frequently asked questions
Does T-Mobile sponsor H-1B for new grads?
It does, but in small numbers next to its renewals. USCIS data shows 28 initial-employment approvals for T-Mobile USA Inc. in FY2024, out of 396 total approvals. Because T-Mobile is a for-profit, cap-subject employer, a new grad usually works on OPT or STEM OPT first and then needs a selection in the H-1B lottery, which has been wage-weighted since 2026-02-27.
Does T-Mobile accept H-1B transfers?
Its approvals are dominated by continuing employment (368 of 396 in FY2024), a bucket that in our company data includes changes of employer as well as extensions and amendments. The summary does not split out transfers, so it cannot tell you how many people moved to T-Mobile from another employer. Ask the recruiter directly. Separately, the $100,000 payment never covered in-US change-of-status, amendment or extension requests that USCIS grants (USCIS, 2026-09-21), and as of 2026-11-01 it is blocked and not collected.
Is T-Mobile E-Verify for STEM OPT?
STEM OPT requires an employer enrolled in E-Verify that signs Form I-983. We have not confirmed T-Mobile's enrollment ourselves, so search the legal entity on your offer letter in the E-Verify Employer Search and ask HR for the E-Verify company ID before you file. As of 2026-11-01, a timely STEM OPT filing still gets the 180-day automatic extension.
Does T-Mobile sponsor green cards?
The H-1B Employer Data Hub does not answer that. Green card sponsorship usually starts with PERM labor certification, which DOL publishes in quarterly disclosure files (the latest is FY2026 Q3), so search those for T-Mobile's legal name. T-Mobile is not among the eight employers DOL said on 2026-10-08 it was suspending from PERM.
What tech roles at T-Mobile sponsor visas?
USCIS's Hub does not list job titles. DOL's LCA disclosure files do, with the job title, occupation code, wage level and worksite of each filing, so filter them for T-Mobile to see which roles it has filed for. Look for software, data, network, RF and security titles near yours, and remember that any H-1B role must also qualify as a specialty occupation.
Sources
- USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding Our H-1B Employer Data Hub
- USCIS, STEM OPT extension and cap-gap extension
- USCIS, H-1B electronic registration process and H-1B specialty occupations
- Federal Register, weighted selection final rule, 60-day grace period NPRM and deference NPRM
- E-Verify, E-Verify Employer Search
- DOL, OFLC performance data and H-1B debarment list
- Congressional Research Service, continuing resolution summary (R49353)
- Law-firm summaries of the 2026-10-08 PERM action: Ellis and Mayer Brown
- Match.dev, visa sponsorship in engineering job postings (single vendor, postings read 2026-10-13)
- 8 CFR 214.2 (Cornell LII)
How we checked this: we read the FY2024 USCIS rows behind our T-Mobile company pages and the USCIS, E-Verify, DOL and Federal Register pages listed above on 2026-11-01.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-20, EAD, I-797 and I-94, and your DSO or a licensed immigration attorney, govern your situation.
If T-Mobile or other Bellevue employers are on your list and you are working against an OPT or STEM OPT clock, F1Jobs can help you build a sponsor-aware target list and plan your applications around it.
Frequently asked questions
Does T-Mobile sponsor H-1B for new grads?
It does, but in small numbers next to its renewals. USCIS data shows 28 initial-employment approvals for T-Mobile USA Inc. in FY2024, out of 396 total approvals. Because T-Mobile is a for-profit, cap-subject employer, a new grad usually works on OPT or STEM OPT first and then needs a selection in the H-1B lottery, which has been wage-weighted since 2026-02-27.
Does T-Mobile accept H-1B transfers?
Its approvals are dominated by continuing employment (368 of 396 in FY2024), a bucket that in our company data includes changes of employer as well as extensions and amendments. The summary does not split out transfers, so it cannot tell you how many people moved to T-Mobile from another employer. Ask the recruiter directly. Separately, the $100,000 payment never covered in-US change-of-status, amendment or extension requests that USCIS grants (USCIS, 2026-09-21), and as of 2026-11-01 it is blocked and not collected.
Is T-Mobile E-Verify for STEM OPT?
STEM OPT requires an employer enrolled in E-Verify that signs Form I-983. We have not confirmed T-Mobile's enrollment ourselves, so search the legal entity on your offer letter in the E-Verify Employer Search and ask HR for the E-Verify company ID before you file. As of 2026-11-01, a timely STEM OPT filing still gets the 180-day automatic extension.
Does T-Mobile sponsor green cards?
The H-1B Employer Data Hub does not answer that. Green card sponsorship usually starts with PERM labor certification, which DOL publishes in quarterly disclosure files (the latest is FY2026 Q3), so search those for T-Mobile's legal name. T-Mobile is not among the eight employers DOL said on 2026-10-08 it was suspending from PERM.
What tech roles at T-Mobile sponsor visas?
USCIS's Hub does not list job titles. DOL's LCA disclosure files do, with the job title, occupation code, wage level and worksite of each filing, so filter them for T-Mobile to see which roles it has filed for. Look for software, data, network, RF and security titles near yours, and remember that any H-1B role must also qualify as a specialty occupation.