H1B visas are non-immigrant visa types used mostly by employers or businesses within the United States who want to bring workers from foreign countries to occupy job vacancies that requires specialized skills and proficiency.
This includes all specialty occupations performers, among which project managers, they usually require certain conditions such as a high level of education mainly a bachelor’s degree in a field directly related to the job position which is in this case is project management, as well as other criteria that involve the applicants skills and expertise.
Therefore, in order to apply for an H1b visa, project managers must meet the eligibility requirements and the job vacancy itself must fulfill the specialty occupation standards that are imposed by U.S law. Keep reading for more details.
H1B Visa for Project Manager entry Requirements
To be eligible to apply for an H1B visa as a project manager, the minimum educational level acceptable has to be a bachelor’s degree in the field of project management, as well as an employer-employee relationship with a U.S. employer who is filing the petition for your visa.
Which means that in addition to having a valid job offer in a field directly related to project management it must also meet the specialty occupation standards, which include the following conditions listed below:
- The minimum entry level to the H1B visa programs is having a bachelor’s degree, higher, or its equivalent similarly used by other workers hired to fulfill the same job position that you are applying for in the United States.
In this case it is worth knowing that when evaluating a foreign degree, the U.S rules and regulations allow the consideration of the applicant’s experience, by substituting 3 years of progressive and relevant experience in that specific field, in this case project management as an equivalent of one year of college.
- Having a valid job offer with a trustworthy employer in the U.S that fully understands his role and duties in bringing you to the United States, including payment of all application fees and providing you with a sustainable wage commonly paid to US workers occupying the same job position as you, meaning the same wage paid in the area of employment.
- Your employer must apply for a certified Labor Condition Application (LCA) from the Department of Labor, this certification includes the terms and conditions of their contract with you as a new project management employee.
- Your employer has to demonstrate that he did not find any qualified U.S applicants for the job.
- You must have the needed skills and expertise to perform the job duties.
The above mentioned are some of the requirements that must be fulfilled in order to be eligible and qualify for an H1B visa for project managers.
Project Manager 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 Project Manager in the U.S
Project Managers earn on average $94,874 in the United States. While the average additional cash compensation is estimated at $10,270, which makes the average total salary of Project Managers in the United States $105,144. More details are listed below.
| Company Name | Average Median Salary for H1B visa for Project Manager |
| Consultadd | $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 |
Project Manager top-hiring Cities
The field of project management in the United States is subject to an estimated 7% growth between 2021 and 2031, with around 70,400 vacancies for project management in some of the top-hiring and highest paying cities in the US, including New York, San Francisco and Chicago, more details are listed below.
| 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 Project Manager Basic Processing Information
H1B visa processing usually approximately takes between six to nine months. California and Nebraska Service Centers take on average between 2.5 to 4 or 6 months, the Vermont Service Center however usually takes much longer to process H1B visas.
You can use your USCIS receipt number that is made up of 13 digits to find out where your application is being processed. You may also pay for premium processing which offers 15 day processing time if you wish to speed up the process.
H1B Visa Fees
H1B visa for project manager fees are paid for by the employer. The U.S law forbids the payment of H1B visa fee by the employee except for the premium processing fees which are optional. More details about the type and cost of each fee are listed below.
| 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 Thinking about applying for an H1B visa for project manager in the U.S, you will surely need the steady hand of an experienced immigration lawyer to navigate the rough waters of U.S. immigration law.
You can seek out professional counsel help from Herman Legal Group, a U.S. immigration law firm with over 25 years of experience in representing individuals, families and companies in all aspects of immigration law, in all 50 states and around the world.
Keep in mind that a consultation can help uncover the winning strategy and bring peace of mind. Schedule a personal consultation with Attorney Richard Herman by calling 1-216-696-6170, or by booking online. Consultations can be conducted by Zoom, Skype, through the phone, whatsapp, facetime, or in-office.
