Immigration
The H-1B Visa, Explained: Timeline, Costs and Common Mistakes
9 min read · Updated July 11, 2026
The H-1B is the primary work visa for skilled professionals in the USA — and the annual cap makes timing everything. Here is how the cycle works, what it costs, and where applications most often go wrong.
How the annual cycle works
The H-1B operates on a fiscal-year cap: 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for holders of US advanced degrees. Registration for the lottery typically opens in early March for a start date of October 1 the same year.
The sequence: employer registers you electronically in March → lottery selection notices go out around late March → selected registrations file full petitions (usually April–June) → approvals roll in through summer → employment can begin October 1. If you are not selected, you wait for the next cycle — which is why many professionals plan parallel paths (cap-exempt employers, O-1, L-1, or study routes).
Who qualifies
You need a job offer from a US employer for a 'specialty occupation' — a role that normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field — and your degree (or equivalent experience) must match that field. The employer, not you, files the petition and must pay required filing fees.
What it costs
Employer-paid government fees typically run from roughly $1,700 to over $6,000 depending on company size and premium processing; attorney fees are additional. Employees generally cannot be required to reimburse mandatory employer fees — treat any such demand as a red flag.
The mistakes that sink applications
Degree–role mismatch: petitions fail when the job doesn't clearly require your specific degree field. Job descriptions matter.
Multiple related registrations: duplicate registrations by related entities for the same person can lead to denial and bans — the lottery now uses beneficiary-centric selection to blunt this.
Maintaining status gaps: letting an F-1/OPT or existing status lapse while waiting. Track dates conservatively and act before deadlines, not on them.
Employer red flags: bench arrangements, fee 'reimbursement' demands, or job sites that don't match the petition are compliance problems that become your problem.