The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa popularly and commonly used by U.S based employers or businesses who want to bring foreign nationals to work for them in specialty occupations. Those specialty occupations usually require a certain level of education, usually a bachelor’s degree in a field directly related to the job position, as well as other criteria involving high skills and expertise.
Which means that in order to qualify for the specialty occupation, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements imposed by the USCIS. Luckily, business analysts are eligible for H1B visas.
They belong to the specialty occupation list of jobs; meaning that if you are a business analyst and you meet all of the eligibility requirements then you can apply for an H1B visa and start working in the United States! Find out more details as you keep reading.
H1B visa for Business Analyst Entry Requirements
Business Analyst specialization as defined in section 214(i)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(ii)(A) is a specialty occupation. In order to qualify for an H1B visa the applicant for the position must meet one of the following criteria:
- A baccalaureate, a higher degree or its equivalent are normally the minimum entry requirement.
- The degree should be common to the industry in parallel jobs and among similar companies or, the employer may show that its particular position is so complex or unique that it can be performed only by an individual with a degree directly related to the job and having expert skills.
- Have an H1B visa sponsor. Meaning, an employer offering you this job vacancy and willing to sponsor you and pay for the H1B visa processing fees.
- Your employer must submit a Labor Conditions Approval (LCA).
- Your Employer must submit Form I-129.
Business Analyst H1B Sponsorship Data
| Year | Approval Rate | Denial Rate |
| 2022 | 99.85% | 0.15% |
| 2021 | 99.51% | 0.49% |
| 2020 | 99.92% | 0.08% |
| 2019 | 98.90% | 1.10% |
| 2018 | 99.02% | 0.98% |
| 2017 | 99.14% | 0.86% |
| 2016 | 99.14% | 0.86% |
| 2015 | 98.72% | 1.28% |
Average prevailing wages and top employers for Business Analyst in the U.S
The average salary for a Business Analyst working in the United States is $82,938, while the average additional cash compensation for that speciality is around $7,883. Therefore, making the average total compensation for a Business Analyst in the U.S around $90,821. Take a look at the following data for more details about the top employing companies as well as their median salaries for business analysts.
| Company Name | Average Median Salary for H1B business analysts |
| Consulted | $93,185 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | $99,634 |
| Tech Mahindra | $95,659 |
| Accenture | $120,567 |
| IBM | $104,971 |
| System Soft Technologies | $85,689 |
| Compunnel Software Group | $104,076 |
| Atos Syntel | $94,733 |
| Adroit Associates | $80,129 |
| Coforge F/K/A Niit Technologies | $93,643 |
Business Analyst top-hiring Cities
The following data shows the top-hiring cities for business analysts in the US in 2022 including California, Virginia, Florida and New York City. Business Analysts are in high demand and the job market for this specialization is expected to grow by 14.3% between 2016 and 2026.
| Rank | City | Average Salary |
| 1 | New York, NY | $126,408 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $142,808 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $132,944 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $105,061 |
| 5 | Sunnyvale, CA | $145,710 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | $136,951 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $100,771 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $103,969 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $109,341 |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | $105,109 |
| 11 | Mountain View, CA | $151,855 |
H1B visa for Business Analyst Basic Processing Information
Since the US authorities are aware of the extremely high demand for the H1B visas, they established a quite complicated and long process of application. There are also different ways through which these visas get processed. Which include the following:
- Regular H1B visa processing; Which takes from 1 to 6 months. But it also depends on the service center. While The California and Nebraska Service Centers take on average 2.5 to 4.5 months for processing H1B visas, The Vermont Service Center takes around 12 to 15 months to do so.
- Premium H1B visa processing; Specifically destined for employers who do not want to wait for a long period of time. With Premium processing the petition will be processed within 15 days of the submission date.
- Expedited H1B visa processing: Expedited processing requires certain criteria such as the following:
- In case there is a severe financial loss to the US employer or foreign employee;
- There is an emergency situation;
- For humanitarian reasons;
- The petition is filed from a US Nonprofit Organization that will benefit the cultural and social interests of the US;
- In Case the petition is from a US government entity due to national interest from the US Department of Defense;
- In case there was an error from the USCIS.
- In case the petition is of compelling interest of USCIS.
H1B Visa Fees
Most of the H1B visa filing expenses have to be paid for by the employer who is sponsoring them. That is one of the most important requirements of filing an H1b visa application. The filing fees for a business analyst H1b visa will cost around $5000 (including government fees). You will find below a briefly detailed list of the most important fees related to H1b visas. They include the following:
- $460 I-129 Fee.
- $500 anti fraud fee.
- If the company has 25 or more employees: $1,500.
- If the company has less than 25 employees: $750.
- Optional Premium Processing: $2,500.
Get Help From Herman Legal Group
If you are a Business Analyst planning to apply for an H1B visa and need help navigating complex immigration laws and procedures? We can help you! The Herman Legal Group, founded in 1995, T serves clients in all 50 states and Canada, and throughout the world. Their team speaks over 12 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian.
Schedule a consultation with one of the experienced immigration lawyers at Herman Legal Group by calling 1-216-696-6170, or by booking online. Consultations can be conducted by zoom, skype, whatsapp, facetime, or in-office.
