Complete H-1B Visa Guide for International Students

The H-1B process end to end: eligibility, the registration and lottery cycle, the petition and its timeline, cap-exempt routes, and how to find employers that actually sponsor.

H-1B requirements

The role must be a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field, and your degree must map to the duties of the job.

Registration and lottery timeline

Employers register beneficiaries in the spring; selected registrations may then file a full petition, with an October start date for cap-subject cases.

Cap-exempt employers

Universities, affiliated non-profits, and certain research organisations are exempt from the annual cap and can petition at any time.

Finding sponsors

Public LCA and petition disclosure data shows which employers have sponsored before and at what volume, which is a far better signal than a job posting that merely says sponsorship is available.