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I'm a technical lead in the field of software engineering based in the UK.

My salary here is a fraction of what it would be in the US. So, it makes financial sense for me to move over there, for at least a few years. This is especially true as I'm still young enough to not have a family to worry about uprooting.

Given my qualifications, both professional and academic, I'm fairly sure I should qualify for a H1B visa without too much issue.

However, I have absolutely no idea whatsoever how to find job openings that are willing to sponsor a H1B for the right candidate. In the UK, if I want a new job, there are a handful of recruiters that I would turn to and they'd act as a middle-man between myself and the companies they work with. However, I don't know of any organisations like that in the USA.

Obviously, I could just go and apply to the big corporations like FAANG, but I'm not particularly interested in working for companies like that.

I've tried job boards on LinkedIn etc but they rarely stipulate whether or not they're willing to consider foreign nationals.

Could someone point me in a good direction to start? Either specific recruitment organisations, resources, or general strategies for finding these positions would be appreciated.

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    Have you considered working for a multinational company that should send you to the U.S. on an L1 visa, rather than H1B?
    – Dimitri Vulis
    Jun 8 at 19:13
  • Sure, but I'm somewhat reluctant to work for a company for a year only on the basis that they might then move me after a year
    – ScottishTapWater
    Jun 8 at 19:15
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    I've worked with folks who did it, and had an explicit agreement that the employer would do that.
    – Dimitri Vulis
    Jun 8 at 19:18
  • I might consider that if I can't find anything useful down the H1B path... Although I'd suspect any company that did that would likely be loathe to pay me a US salary if I was just being seconded over there
    – ScottishTapWater
    Jun 8 at 19:24
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    There is a balance between big companies (that you may not want to work for) who can afford the expense of H-1B sponsorship vs smaller companies(that you might like) who aren't willing to incur the expense. Also there are quotas on H-1B so even if "Given my qualifications, both professional and academic, I'm fairly sure I should qualify for a H1B", you could lose out in the numbers game.
    – cdkMoose
    Jun 8 at 21:10

4 Answers 4

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You could debate whether this method would take more effort than just applying to all the jobs you see, but it's an option...

If the name of the employer is given in a job listing you're interested in, go to the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, and search for that company.

If the search tool returns any results then you'll see that the company has sponsored H-1B visas in the past, and you can also see how many and in which years.
If the results are non-zero then there's evidence that the company does consider sponsoring H-1B visas, so submitting an application is not automatically a waste of your time.

For example, searching for "Microsoft" brings back a list like this: enter image description here

Even if the numbers listed here for "Initial Approval" and "Initial Denial" are zero, the fact that the company is listed means that there's has been at least one sponsorship application, which you'll see if you expand that item in the list.

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Don't worry about asking about the H1B visa in advance. Just apply to all the jobs you find interesting on Linkedin or Indeed or other platforms like that. It is pretty much standard procedure for the company recruiters to ask about your right to work in the USA in the initial phone screening and that would be the moment to bring up the need for H1B sponsorship. If you mention in your CV your current location or the fact that the current employer is not in USA they will probably expect that they might have to apply for your visa, so if they will still call you it is already a good sign. Good luck!

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Remember that nobody wants to deal with the additional hassle of visa/work-permit.

If you are a sufficiently good candidate, and the project is not something which requires a security clearance, a company may consider an H1B. But there's no way to ask them whether you are a sufficiently exceptional candidate without applying.

Make clear in your cover letter that you would need this, then bulk-mail applications as usual. That isn't significant additional amounts of hassle. Or just mail out the applications and bring this up when they ask for an interview or other additional input, if you think that might bias them against you prematurely; again the additional hassle is pretty minimal compared to what you'd do if the visa wasn't an issue.

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I've tried job boards on LinkedIn etc but they rarely stipulate whether or not they're willing to consider foreign nationals.

If you apply to a company on a job board, and indicate in a cover letter that you require H1B sponsorship, you will find out.

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    This isn't exactly a helpful answer. Obviously I want to avoid applying to jobs that won't even countenance a H1B because there are only so many hours in a day
    – ScottishTapWater
    Jun 8 at 19:23
  • That depends on how much effort you're putting into each application really. Thanks for the answer anyway
    – ScottishTapWater
    Jun 8 at 20:39
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    Initial application is a photocopy (or minor editing and a printout), an envelope, and postage. That isn't a great deal of effort, compared to that invested in simply deciding which opportunities look interesting. Interview is unlikely to happen unless you make it past the first-pass selection, and if you indicate that you'll need the sponsorship that will rarely happen unless they're willing to consider that sponsorship. I just don't see a lot of hours being wasted here...
    – keshlam
    Jun 8 at 22:44
  • Envelope? Postage ? Are you telling me paper applications are still a thing in the US ?
    – Marianne013
    Jun 11 at 17:22

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