H1B visas for developers are non-immigrant temporary visas destined for foreign nationals, who are eligible to work in vacancies in their related field for US based employers, companies or institutions.
Both the foreign H1B visa applicant and his employer must satisfy the specialty occupations standards. These “standards” imposed by the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) allow foreign individuals to come to the U.S for the purpose of working under an H1B visa contract, the duration of stay is mainly three years, can be extended to six years afterwards, the applicant may need to reapply in case they want to lengthen their stay.
The minimum entry level for applying to an H1B visa is a bachelor’s degree, among other requirements which we will be stating below. Therefore, if you are a developer who just secured a new job with a U.S based employer and need more insight on everything related to the H1B visa, then you came to the right place! Keep reading for more details.
H1B Visa For Developer Entry Requirements
Like all of the specialty occupations, there are certain requirements that must be satisfied in order to qualify and be eligible for a position as a developer in the U.S through an H1B visa.
The complex and challenging nature of a developer’s specialization which involve providing upgrades, bug fixes, testing, writing debugging and making other changes to programs and applications with the aim of improving the customer’s experience makes it a specialty occupation for which US based employers may hire foreign nationals and bring them to the United States, of course if other requirements are fulfilled, some of which include the following:
- The applicant has to be a holder of a bachelor’s degree as minimum entry level in a field directly related to developing, that degree should also be common in similar industries among other people who work as developers in the United States.
- The employer should file a labor condition with the Department of Labor. That labor condition will state the details, terms and conditions of his work contract with the foreign developer.
- You must have the needed skills and expertise to perform the job duties.
- The employer should also demonstrate and prove that there were no qualified U.S applicants for the job.
- Your employer has to pay all the fees and charges of the H1B visa. However, you may pay the premium processing fees.
These are some of the most pertinent rules and conditions imposed to any H1B visa contract between an employer and a foreign employee, you can find more details at the USCIS H1B eligibility criteria.
Developer H1B Sponsorship Data
H1B visas for Developers have a relatively high approval rate, the highest denial percentage for the last few years has been recorded in 2015 for an estimation of 0.78% denied petitions and 99.22% approved ones. Take a look at the following table for more details:
| Year | Approval Rate | Denial Rate |
| 2022 | 99.80% | 0.20% |
| 2021 | 99.95% | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 100.00% | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 99.78% | 0.22% |
| 2018 | 99.82% | 0.18% |
| 2017 | 99.65% | 0.35% |
| 2016 | 99.65% | 0.35% |
| 2015 | 99.22% | 0.78% |
Average prevailing wages and top employers for Developers in the U.S
The average income for developers in the United States was estimated at $110,140 per year making that $9,178 as a monthly wage. More specifically, the average income for Junior developers is around $69,354 per year for $5,779 each month. On the other hand, the average senior developer salary, on is estimated at $104,188 per year or $8,682 per month.
| Company Name | Average Median Salary for Developers |
| Tata Consultancy Services | $93,736 |
| Nagarro | $86,277 |
| Proficient Business Systems | $89,427 |
| Sap Labs | $121,080 |
| SuccessFactors | $115,296 |
| Concur Technologies | $113,513 |
| Ariba | $118,804 |
| Akuna Capital | $153,750 |
| Flexton | $124,068 |
| Health Care Service | $98,485 |
Developer Top-Hiring Cities
Developer field has witnessed an important growth during the last few years, in both the average salary and job volume and vacancies available within the United States. The areas that pay the highest salaries for developers include San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Wenatchee, and Oxnard. More details are shown below:
| Rank | City | Average Salary |
| 1 | New York, NY | $135,381 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $153,056 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $137,843 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $147,643 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $117,909 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $111,267 |
| 7 | Sunnyvale, CA | $154,276 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $105,984 |
| 9 | Mountain View, CA | $162,028 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $105,542 |
| 11 | Irving, TX | $105,663 |
H1B visa for Developer Basic Processing Information
H1B visa processing time differs from the rest of the visa categories, mainly depending on the circumstances that involve the service center as well as the workload within that service center.
In addition to the fact that it involves multiple different government agencies for processing which may lengthen or shorten the procedures depending on the situation, that includes the Department of Labor (DOL) as well as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The USCIS usually takes between 3 weeks to 11 months to review the eligibility criteria and determined whether the applicant should be granted an H1B visa or not.
However, the service center itself plays a very important role in determining the processing time. While the Vermont Service Center takes a long time to process H1B visas, the California and Nebraska Service Centers on the other hand process H1B visas for an average of 2.5 to 4.5 months.
If the petition is approved, then the H-1B visa will be issued. So preparing your application correctly and providing the necessary documentation since the beginning would be very helpful and will help you gain more time to your advantage.
Therefore it would be a good idea to consult with a specialized immigration attorney before applying.
H1B Visa Fees
| Type of fee | Amount in $ | Paid for by |
| Registration Fee | $10 | Employer |
| Premium Processing Fee (optional) | $2,500 | Employer or Employee |
| Public Law 114-113 Fee | $4,000 | Employer |
| Basic Filing Fee | $460 | Employer |
| USCIS Anti-Fraud Fee | $500 | Employer |
| ACWIA Education and Training Fee | $750 (less than 25 employees)$1,500 (more than 25 employees) | Employer |
| Attorney Fee | Variable | Employer |
Get Help From Herman Legal Group
If you are a developer planning to apply for a job position in the United States through an H1B visa and Need help navigating the complex immigration laws and procedures? We can help.
Herman Legal Group, founded in 1995, By Attorney Richard Herman, a national speaker, advocate, and author. He co-authored the acclaimed book, “Immigrant, Inc.” serves clients in all 50 states and Canada, and throughout the world.
Their team speaks over 12 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian. Schedule a consult 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.
