The H1B visa is the legitimatization of the status of a foreign individual as a worker in the U.S. Mainly working for a U.S. based employer or company. The job vacancies that these foreigners intend to occupy should meet the specialty occupations standards, which, require a certain level of education such as a bachelor’s degree in a field directly related to the job position, as well as other conditions involving high skills and expertise that the employer was unable to find from a U.S.-based worker.
Luckily, software developing is one of the specialty occupations; therefore, if you are a software developer and you meet all of the eligibility requirements then you may apply for an H1B visa! Find out more details as you keep reading.
H1B visa for Software Developer Entry Requirements
Just like any other H1B specialty occupation, software developers have to meet certain eligibility criteria and conditions in order to qualify as H1B applicants for that specialization. Some of those requirements include the following:
- Be a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree (which is generally the minimum entry level) that is relevant to that position.
- Have a valid job offer from a U.S based employer who is willing to be your H1B visa sponsor and pay for the processing fees.
- Your employer must submit a Labor Conditions Approval (LCA) concerning the details, terms and conditions of your contract
- Your Employer must submit Form I-129.
Software Developer H1B Sponsorship Data
Year | Approval Rate | Denial Rate |
2015 | 98.53% | 1.47% |
2016 | 98.86% | 1.14% |
2017 | 98.95% | 1.05% |
2018 | 99.32% | 0.68% |
2019 | 99.35% | 0.65% |
2020 | 99.88% | 0.12% |
2021 | 99.73% | 0.27% |
2022 | 99.56% | 0.44% |
Average prevailing wages for Software Developer in the U.S
While average salaries can vary from an employer and a city to another, software developers make decent earnings each year. According to Glassdoor, the average income for software developers is around $101,894.
However, these salaries always are subject to variations depending on compensations in the form of bonuses and stocks. Take a look at the following data for an overall idea about the median salaries for H1B software developers in the U.S!
Company Name | Average Median Salary for H1B Software Developers |
Compunnel Software Group | $105,267 |
IBM | $145,175 |
System Soft Technologies | $104,668 |
Cgi Technologies And Solutions | $107,701 |
Federal Soft Systems | $83,789 |
Randstad Technologies | $109,055 |
Oracle America | $147,995 |
Nemo It Solutions | $93,401 |
Agile Scientific Group | $107,623 |
Data Edge | $85,264 |
Software Developers main Employers and Cities
The job market for developers in the U.S is wide-open, large corporations and small startups all over the nation are using H1B visas to bring foreign individuals to fill software-developing roles.
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 |
H1B visa for Software Developer Basic Processing Information
The H1B visa processing time varies from an individual’s situation to another depending on the circumstances of each case, but it generally takes between 1 to 6 months and can go up to one year. One of the most important factors of the processing time are the service centers.
The California and Nebraska Service Centers take between 2.5 to 4.5 months to process an H1B visa application while the Vermont Service Center takes much longer than that; around 12 to 15 months to process a petition. After USCIS processes the H1B visa, they might request more evidence. The petitioner must then provide the required evidence; afterwards USCIS will make a decision
H1B Visa Fees
Most of the filing costs have to be paid for by the employer who is sponsoring the software developer. Except for the premium-processing fee, which the applicant himself can pay.
The typical H1B processing fees 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.
USCIS Memos concerning H-1B Visa for Software Developer
The USCICS U.S. rescinded two policy memoranda regarding the adjudication of certain petitions for H-1B nonimmigrant classification. Direct Link to USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of the Director (MS 2000) Washington, DC 20529-2000
If you have any question about the H-1B Visa for software developer do not hesitate to contact Herman Legal Group. We will do our best to answer it as soon as possible.