The H-1B is the primary US work visa for foreign professionals in "specialty occupations", and the most common long-term goal for international students who complete a degree in the US on an F-1 visa. This guide covers eligibility, the annual lottery, costs, and how the F-1 → OPT → H-1B pipeline works in practice.
What Is the H-1B Visa?
The H-1B allows US employers to sponsor foreign workers in roles that require specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a specific field, most commonly in tech, engineering, finance, and healthcare.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Must be a US employer (you cannot self-petition) |
| Initial duration | 3 years |
| Extension | Renewable once, up to 6 years total |
| Beyond 6 years | Possible with an approved green card petition (PERM/I-140) in process |
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for an H-1B, you generally need:
- A job offer from a US employer for a role that qualifies as a "specialty occupation"
- A bachelor's degree or higher in a field directly related to the job (or equivalent work experience, in some cases)
- An employer willing to sponsor you, including filing a Labor Condition Application (LCA) and paying the required prevailing wage
- Selection in the H-1B lottery, if the annual cap applies to your case
The Annual Cap and Lottery
Because demand vastly exceeds supply, most H-1B petitions are subject to a lottery:
| Cap Category | Number of Slots |
|---|---|
| Regular cap | 65,000 per fiscal year |
| Master's cap (advanced degree exemption) | Additional 20,000 for US master's degree holders or higher |
| Cap-exempt employers | Universities, non-profit research organisations, and government research organisations are exempt from the cap entirely |
Timeline:
| Stage | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Electronic registration window | March |
| Lottery selection notifications | Late March/early April |
| Petition filing window (if selected) | April 1 onward |
| Earliest start date | October 1 (start of the new fiscal year) |
Selection is no longer a pure random lottery. A final USCIS rule effective February 27, 2026 replaced the random draw with a wage-weighted selection process: each registration is assigned an OEWS prevailing-wage level (I through IV) for the offered role, and higher wage levels get more entries in the selection pool, Level IV registrations are entered four times, Level III three times, Level II twice, and Level I once. A US master's-degree (or higher) holder is still entered into both the master's cap and regular cap pools, improving overall odds, but within each pool, higher-wage registrations are now statistically more likely to be selected than lower-wage ones. Confirm the current rule and selection mechanics directly on USCIS's H-1B registration page, since this is a comparatively new rule and could face legal challenges or further changes.
Costs - Including the New Supplemental Fee
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | $215 per registration |
| Base filing fee (I-129 petition) | $780 (fees restructured in 2024-2025; confirm current USCIS fee schedule) |
| ACWIA training fee | $750-$1,500, depending on employer size |
| Fraud prevention fee | $500 |
| Optional premium processing | $2,965 for 15-calendar-day processing (increased from $2,805 effective March 1, 2026) |
| H-1B supplemental fee (2025 proclamation) | $100,000 was imposed on new H-1B petitions under a September 2025 presidential proclamation, primarily targeting petitions for workers outside the US at filing time, but collection of this fee is currently blocked by federal court rulings, see below |
Important, status as of November 2026: the $100,000 supplemental fee has been tied up in litigation since mid-2026. A Massachusetts federal court vacated the proclamation in June 2026, reasoning it functioned as an unauthorized tax, and an appeals court declined to pause that ruling in July 2026. The administration separately issued a new proclamation extending the fee through September 2027, but a second federal court (in San Francisco) vacated the agency policies implementing collection of the fee in September 2026 as well. As a result, the fee is not currently being collected, though the underlying proclamations remain on the books and the litigation is still working through appeals, so this could change again with little notice. Always confirm the current, live status directly with USCIS or an immigration attorney before budgeting for or against this fee.
Employers, not employees, are responsible for nearly all H-1B fees, a legitimate sponsor should never ask you to pay filing costs directly.
The F-1 to H-1B Pathway for International Students
Most international students follow this sequence after graduating from a US university:
| Stage | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| F-1 student visa | Length of your programme | Study on your student visa |
| Optional Practical Training (OPT) | 12 months | Work authorization tied to your F-1 status, in your field of study |
| STEM OPT Extension | Additional 24 months (36 total) | Available if your degree is on the STEM-designated list and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify |
| Cap-Gap Extension | Bridges the gap | If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, work authorization can extend until the H-1B start date |
| H-1B status | Up to 6 years (3+3) | Begins October 1 following a successful lottery and petition |
The STEM OPT extension is critical: it gives STEM graduates up to three chances at the H-1B lottery (rather than just one during standard 12-month OPT), significantly improving the odds of eventually being selected.
H-1B vs. Other Visa Categories
| Visa | Who It's For | Cap? |
|---|---|---|
| H-1B | Specialty occupation professionals | Yes (65,000 + 20,000) |
| O-1 | Individuals with extraordinary ability/achievement | No cap, but high evidentiary bar |
| L-1 | Intracompany transferees | No cap |
| TN | Canadian/Mexican professionals (USMCA) | No cap |
Practical Tips for International Students
- Track STEM OPT eligibility early: confirm your degree's CIP code is on the STEM Designated Degree Program List before you graduate.
- Apply to cap-exempt employers if you want to bypass the lottery entirely, universities, affiliated non-profits, and qualifying research organisations can sponsor H-1Bs year-round without the cap.
- Don't assume one lottery attempt is your only shot: with STEM OPT, most STEM graduates get up to three registration cycles before their work authorization runs out.
- Confirm who pays what: a legitimate employer covers H-1B filing costs; be cautious of any employer asking you to personally cover mandatory sponsorship fees.
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