Would you like to work in America? If yes, then regardless of the type of employment you have, you
must first get a job offer and then have an employer as a sponsor. The employer must then go through
the steps known as U.S. Visa Sponsorship.
In this article, we will walk you through the processes of getting a job offer and sponsor in the U.S. so
that you can avoid lots of headaches and confusion. By the end of this blog post, you should have
learned a thing or two about U.S. Sponsorship visas and how to secure an opportunity for yourself.
What is a USA Visa Sponsorship?
You first need to get a job offer from an employer who is willing to hire a foreigner if you plan coming to
the U.S to work. In a situation like this, your employer is a sponsor for you. You are also only allowed to
work in the job position you are employed in.
Your sponsor or employer must guarantee that you are working in this country legally. The employer
must also commit that your income is equal to an American citizen working in a similar position. That
said, the sponsorship is a set of documentation submitted by an employer to the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services or USCIS.
These documents contain various forms and letters. As you know, the U.S. population is high enough to
meet the employees for the job market. So the employer must prove that hiring a foreigner is a must.
For this purpose, he or she can publish job advertisements or get help from job search companies.
Despite these efforts, if an appropriate workforce is not found, the employer can hire a foreign worker.
Employers must however provide the USCIS with documents related to their efforts to find the U.S.
workforce to initiate the sponsorship process for the intended foreign employee.
Who Is the U.S. Visa Sponsorship For?
If you are a U.S. work applicant whether immigrant or non-immigrant, you need a sponsor. For
non-immigrant visas, the following will need a sponsor. Applicants of
H-1B,
H-2A,
H-2B,
L-1A,
L-1B,
O-1A,
O-1B, and
O-2 visas.
More so, holders of U.S. immigrant visas and green cards such as
EB-1,
EB-2,
EB-3, and
EB-4 also needs a sponsor.
Applicants who have special abilities such as being eligible to apply for the EB-1 visa, may not need to
find an employer, in that case, they can be their own sponsors. Under this visa type, all forms and costs
must be provided by the applicant. Applicants for EB-5 also apply through self-petitioning.
The Right Approach to Securing U.S. Visa Sponsorship
As earlier mentioned, you, as an applicant for a U.S. work visa, must obtain an appropriate job offer. The
employer will then send you a contract to sign. In some cases, the employer must seek a labor
certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to this certificate, the employer proves that it has not found an eligible labor force for the job
position among American citizens. After issuing this certificate, the employer can submit their petition to
USCIS.
The employer must submit the Form I-129 for non-immigrant visas and Form I-140 for immigrant visas.
Along with the petition, other documents such as travel plans, contracts, and the employer’s
qualifications must be provided.These forms and the filling instructions are on the USCIS websites.
Employers can go to this website and get and fill out the forms.
Worth noting is that making mistakes while filling out these forms will result in the rejection of the
employer’s request. Therefore, the employer can also hire a lawyer to prevent these mistakes and
prevent the processing time from being prolonged.
USCIS must assess the employer’s request and the supporting documents. Because the number of
applications is significantly high, the processing time might be prolonged. In some cases, people wait
months, even a year, to receive responses from USCIS.
When the USCIS decides, the result will be communicated to the employee and the employer to
complete the rest of the application process. If the application is rejected, the reasons for its rejection
will be explained. Lack of qualifications and insufficient documents are the usual reasons for the
rejection of the application.
Top U.S. Companies that Offer H-1B Visa Sponsorship in 2025
Amazon
The e-commerce giant is hiring plenty of MBAs these days and has the highest record for sponsoring
MBAs for H1Bs. Not only is the company growing at an incredible pace, but Amazon also offers a free
guide on getting hired there as a product manager.
A top employer and innovator, both in technology and in the work environment, Google has always been
about tracking top talent, and that goes for non-US MBAs, too.
Microsoft
Seattle tech firm Microsoft hired 6 % of all-sponsored MBAs, according to the transparent database. The
company has also undergone some cultural restructuring since 2014, when new CEO Sataya Nadella took
over, and still, Microsoft is hiring from abroad.
Deloitte
Along with being one of the big four financial firms, Deloitte sponsored the most MBAs out of any
professional service company. Those that have worked at Deloitte appreciate the environment and
atmosphere of constant personal growth. This shows in company-sponsored programs too, like the
Delightee Learning Academy.
Ernst & Young
Another of the top U.S companies offering H-1B visa sponsorship, Ernst & Young, which has recently
rebranded to only EY, has consistently ranked as one of the best employers.
Ey has received such high markings that they’ve been on fortunes, 100 best companies to work for for
the past 19 years. Recent employees have reported flexible working hours, and the firm’s commitment
to diversity as the company’s top perks.
McKinsey & Company
Employees at McKinsey rave about the company culture, collaborative, and with a unique approach to
problem solving. With such high demand as an employer, this lets McKinsey be quite selective with its
applicants. Some claim that McKinsey gives the toughest job interviews.
Apple
Apple has traditionally been an incredibly secretive company, both with its technology as well as its
operations as an employer. There’s no question that Apple gets results, though, both in attracting top
talent and in creating innovative products.
Additionally, MBA is entering Apple product management roles being paid higher than at other
companies on this list.
IBM
IBM is restructuring their company to be more focused around the new means of technology: cloud
computing, data storage, and of course, Watson. The company is currently trying to convey this new
focus to top talent, to combat current trends that some large companies are having trouble attracting
the best candidates versus smaller startups.
Lek Consulting
The youngest company on the list, Lek, was founded in 1983 by three former partners from Bain &
Company. Although lacking the sheer size and brand name of larger consulting firms, employees report
enjoying the firm’s approach to bigger problem-solving and minimal travel, at least relative to other
consulting firms.
How Long is the Validity of the U.S. Visa Sponsorship?
By doing the sponsorship process, an essential part of the work visa process is completed. Generally
speaking, the type of visa you have and its expiration date determines the validity of your permission.
For example, the validity of the H-1B visa is 3 years and some non-immigrant work visas are for 1 year. In
some cases, you can increase the validity of your visa. For this purpose, the employer must reapply so
that you can get a visa again. In most cases, you cannot renew more than 2 to 3 times.
People who have an immigrant work visa can apply for a green card after a while. The green card is valid
for 10 years and it can be extended indefinitely.
How Much Does a U.S. Visa Sponsorship Cost?
The U.S. visa sponsorship process, most expenses are paid by the employer, which is a relatively high
cost. The process can cost thousands of dollars. Due to the high cost, many employers are reluctant to
hire foreigners.
Listed below is a compilation of their various cost as of the time of writing:
| Form I-129 | Costs $460 |
| Form I-140 | Costs $700 |
| American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 | Costs anywhere between $750 to $1,500 |
| Threat Prevention and Detection fee | Costs $500 |
| Employers who have more than 50 workers and 50% of them are foreigners | Must pay $4,000 to $4,500 |
How Can I Get a Work Sponsorship Visa to the U.S.?
To get a job offer with visa sponsorship, attending a globally respected university and earning a master’s
degree or a PhD in a STEM discipline that is in critically short supply in the U.S., can be helpful.
Get a couple of years of experience in your home country. Then find a U.S. employer that is desperately
trying to fill an opening for someone with your qualifications, but has been unable to find that person
within the existing workforce.
If you can convince them that you are the right person to fill their need, they will hire you and initiate the
work visa application process. You can improve the odds even more by earning a degree at a top tier US
and using the OPT provision of your student visa.
Anything less, and while it’s possible, you are probably just wasting time and valuable time dreaming
about it.
Mistakes to Avoid While Applying for H-1B Visa
There is a limited amount of H1B visas available to foreigners, and goofing up during the application
process can ruin your chances of acquiring it! There is a gap of about 65,000 visas available, and
although the actual visas administered can reach upwards into the hundred thousand range, there are
still a lot more applicants than there are visas available.
Many people make simple mistakes that destroy their chances of getting an H1B visa, even if they are
the perfect candidates! We want you to avoid this, so in order to help you combat the visa woes that so
many fall susceptible to, we have written a list warning you about the common blunders people make as
they pursue their H1B visa.
Here, we will outline the 5 biggest mistakes you can look out for as you continue on with the application
process.
- In all you do, keep track of the application deadline. The H-1B visa applications open once a year so
missing the April window is as good as waiting another year and you don’t want that for yourself. - The most commonest mistake applicants make is providing incorrect information worse still, not
completing the form with the required information. A silly mistake as any of these can lead to rejection. - Another mistake you should avoid as a plague is wrong employer information. In a situation where
your employer doesn’t satisfy the eligibility or files incorrect details, the outcome remains the
same—rejection. - No proper Labor Condition Application is a mistake to watch out for. The plain truth is that your visa
can’t proceed if the LCA isn’t certified by the DOL. - Last but not least, generic roles will often be denied. The job you are applying for usually require a
specialized degree, role, level of experience and what not and as such you are expected to satisfy the
requirements to be considered eligible.