Where to look for jobs offering H1B visa sponsorship

Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and Alphabet— what do they have in common? Part of FAANG or MAMAA? Not quite.

These high-profile tech companies recently axed or have made plans to slash hundreds to thousands of jobs, and they’re not the only ones who made massive job cuts in the last two months. More than 91,000 workers in the US tech sector have been laid off since December.

For workers on H1B working visas, this is an absolute nightmare as they face the imminent threat of deportation after losing their rights to live in the US along with their jobs.

In light of this, we did a scan through our database and found thousands of jobs offering H1B visa sponsorship right now. In this article, you’ll find the industries and states with the most H1B jobs up for grabs and tips to find a job quickly.

The H1B visa explained

In a nutshell, the H1B is a work visa for US employers to temporarily hire overseas highly-skilled workers who are either in specialty occupations, working as researchers and development project workers for the Department of Defense, or are prominent fashion models. H1B visa holders in specialty occupations — meaning professions that require a Bachelor’s degree at a minimum or highly-specialized training — are most affected by this year’s mass layoff.

To H1B workers who were let go, time is their biggest nemesis. Once their employment ends, they have 60 days to look for a new job. If they fail to secure a job after the two-month grace period, their visa will expire and they need to leave the country.

As the average job search takes around three to six months, suffice to say, it’s nerve-racking and challenging to find an employer who is willing to provide visa sponsorship in such a short amount of time.

Healthcare & Nursing, IT, and Engineering most likely to sponsor H1B visas

Looking into our database of 8+ million jobs, the Healthcare and Nursing sector dominates in hiring dexterous foreigners, with 633 advertised vacancies currently offering H1B visas. Some of their advertised roles include Occupational Therapist, Physician and Hospitalist.

The IT sector is also open to hire these foreign-born talent. There’re currently 313 advertised jobs with H1B visa sponsorship, up +313% from 75 jobs in December 2022, and the average advertised salary is $95,994. Some of the in-demand roles in the IT sector include Java Developer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst and Python Developer.

Coming next, the Engineering and PR, Advertising & Marketing sectors are also welcoming immigrants, with close to 100 job openings available now.

Top states with the highest number of advertised vacancies sponsoring H1B visas

Among 50 states, Iowa and California offer the highest number of jobs with H1B visa sponsorship, with close to 200 advertised vacancies promoting visa sponsorship. It comes as no surprise as the tech hubs in California’s Silicon Valley and Iowa’s Des Moines are known for using the American dream to attract international skilled workers. Compared with December 2022, Washington (+504%) and Texas (+135%) have seen the biggest increase in the number of jobs offering visas. There are currently 139 and 120 jobs with H1B visa sponsorship in Washington and Texas.

Tips on finding a job in 60 days

Revamp your resume: Update your resume and add the achievements and skills you acquired in the last role. Many employers use resume screening tools nowadays, which deploy automation and job-specific search terms to sort through high volumes of job applications. Find out the keywords significant to your industry and include them in your resume.
Customize every application: That includes both resume and cover letters. The more personalized your application is, the higher your chances of landing an interview. Read the job descriptions and expectations in a job ad carefully and make sure your resume and cover letter are reflecting the experience, hard skills and soft skills desired by the employer.
Explore different career paths: 60 days can pass by in the snap of a finger. If you’re determined to stay in the US, be open-minded and look through different career paths that fit you. Try ValueMyResume, which provides an overview of potential career paths you are eligible for.
Try the advanced search filter: Again, because of the time constraints, you don’t want to waste your time with companies that are never going to sponsor your visa. Try the advanced search filter and look for employers who explicitly show interest in accepting foreign workers in the early stages.
Make use of your network: Reach out to your former colleagues and professional connections to see if they can refer you to jobs.
Follow up after interviews: Interview processes can last as long as one week to one month. In addition to chats with different departments, many jobs require time-consuming assessments, such as written tests, aptitude tests and job simulations. It’s advantageous for your situation if you can shorten the time between each interview. Sending follow-up emails reminds prospective employers of your application and helps them know you’re highly motivated.

One piece of advice from us is never let a dismissal get you down or define your self-worth. Get your fresh start with Adzuna.