H-1B Visas & Renewals
Employer-sponsored petitions for specialty occupations, with the registration, the extension, and every deadline on both sides of them.
H-1B visas
What is an H-1B visa?
The H-1B lets a U.S. employer sponsor a foreign worker for a specialty occupation — a role that normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field.
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It takes an employer.
There is no self-petition. The employer files, obtains a certified labor condition application, pays at least the required wage, and maintains a genuine employment relationship throughout.
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Selection is weighted by wage level.
The registration that once ran as a straight lottery now gives more entries to higher wage levels. Every registrant can still be selected; how a role is classified affects the odds.
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Some employers never enter the lottery.
Universities, their affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or governmental research organizations can file year-round, outside the cap entirely. It is the most overlooked fact in this category.
Our approach
How Olvera Law Office handles an H-1B petition.
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Test the role before registering.
We confirm the position is a specialty occupation, evaluate the wage level that now drives selection, and establish whether the employer is subject to the cap at all.
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Prepare the wage filing and the petition together.
The labor condition application and the petition are built as one record, with the degree, any equivalency, and any state license documented before an officer asks.
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Keep the status unbroken.
Extensions and amendments are not subject to selection, so they go in ahead of expiration. If USCIS pushes back, the response goes back complete.
Eligibility
Eligibility.
An H-1B needs a qualifying position, a qualifying worker, and a sponsoring employer.
The role must normally require a bachelor's degree in a specific specialty and pay at least the required wage. The worker must hold that degree, a foreign equivalent, or an evaluated combination of education and experience.
Where an H-1B does not fit, another category often does — extraordinary ability, an intracompany transfer, treaty professionals, or a cap-exempt employer. A review of the categories usually beats waiting for the next season.
Book a Consultation
Start with a consultation.
As an immigration attorney, Mosiah Olvera reviews your case, identifies the strongest path forward, and helps you take the next step.
Related services
Explore related immigration services.
Your case may touch more than one area of immigration law.