Transition To H-1B Employment: A Student's Guide

Over one million students from all over the globe were studying in the U.S. in the 2022-23 academic year. This represented a 12% jump from the prior year which was the largest increase in forty (40) years.¹ Foreign students often turn to the U.S. to study because of its reputation as a leader in education, the flexibility of the U.S. educational system, and U.S. colleges' and universities' active recruitment of international students.²

Students often view this as a first step towards their immigration journey in the U.S. and look for ways to remain in the U.S. at the conclusion of their studies. A common pathway is for a student to transition to an employment-based visa and in particular, the H-1B classification.³ The H-1B classification allows foreign workers to live and work temporarily in the U.S. in positions that are "specialty occupations." These are professional positions that require at least a Bachelor's degree, or the equivalent, in a specific field for