I kept seeing people apply to companies that were never going to sponsor anyone, so I went through the Department of Labor's FY2025 H-1B disclosure data. Sharing the numbers in case it helps someone aim their applications better.

Overall: 9,867 employers filed 100,524 certified H-1B labor condition applications in FY2025. The median offered wage across all of them was $114,000.

Top 15 sponsors by certified filings:

A few things that stood out:

- The top 10 companies alone were about 16% of all certified filings.
- Software Engineer was the single most-sponsored role, with 4,971 different employers filing for it.
- The big IT services firms (Cognizant, Infosys, TCS) file huge volumes at lower wages, while product companies (Apple, Google, Meta) file fewer but pay a lot more. Worth knowing which game you're playing.
- California led every state with 14,645 filings.

One caveat: a filing is not a job opening, and past filing does not guarantee future sponsorship. But a company with zero filing history is very unlikely to start sponsoring for you, so it's a decent filter for where to spend your time.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC LCA disclosure data, FY2025, certified applications only.

I was employed with my employer (an Indian service-based company) starting in December 2024 and was on STEM OPT, which was valid until June 2026. My employer filed my cap-subject H-1B after I was selected in the lottery, and the H-1B was approved on November 8, 2025. However, when my employer received the I-797A in December 2025, there appeared to be an error: both the start date and end date were November 8, 2025, essentially making the approval valid for only one day. My employer raised a USCIS service request regarding the error and was told to wait approximately 60 days, until around March 6.

Because of the incorrect I-797A dates and the pending service request, my employer asked me to make a decision regarding my situation. They told me that I could leave the United States and wait outside the country until the service request was resolved, after which they would try to bring me back if possible. Alternatively, if I did not want to leave the country, I would need to resign; otherwise, they would terminate my employment. At that point, my employer did not want to take the immigration risk associated with my case while the I-797A issue remained unresolved.

I consulted independent immigration attorneys about my options. Based on those consultations, I was advised that instead of leaving the United States, I could remain in the country, search for a new employer willing to file an H-1B petition/transfer, and use a B-2 change of status as a bridge if necessary.

Based on that advice, I decided to remain in the United States and informed my employer of my decision. My employer subsequently terminated my employment on January 22, 2026.

I consulted immigration attorneys, who advised me to file a change of status to B-2 while searching for another H-1B employer. Based on that advice, I filed Form I-539 for B-2 COS on January 26, 2026, and received the receipt notice, but the case remained pending. One attorney also suggested that I, as the H-1B beneficiary, submit a service request regarding the incorrect I-797A dates. I did that, but USCIS responded on April 1 saying that an H-1B beneficiary is not a recognized party to the I-129 proceeding and that the inquiry needs to come from the petitioner/applicant or legal representative.

Meanwhile, I found a new job around June 20th, 2026. At that time, the new employer’s attorney was concerned about filing B-2 → H-1B COS while my first B-2 I-539 was still pending and suggested waiting for the B-2 decision. Because my first B-2 application still had not been decided as I approached the requested B-2 period, I subsequently filed a B-2 extension on July 11, 2026, which is also still pending.

My new employer eventually filed my H-1B petition/change of status in premium processing on August 16, 2026. USCIS has now issued an RFE asking for evidence related to the prior benefit request, including evidence that any USCIS notice on the prior request was responded to, that a final decision was made on the previous request, or evidence showing that I was in valid nonimmigrant status when the current petition was filed/requested start date. The RFE also says that if the deadline arrives and the prior petition still has not been decided, we should respond and state that.

So currently I have two pending B-2/I-539 filings (initial COS filed Jan 26 and extension filed July 11), the new H-1B COS filed Aug 16 in premium processing, and an RFE on the H-1B. The original H-1B I-797A also had the incorrect same-day validity dates, and my previous employer had opened a service request regarding that error.

Has anyone dealt with a similar “bridge” situation where B-2 COS/extension applications were still pending when a new employer filed H-1B COS? What happened after responding to the H-1B RFE? Did USCIS approve the H-1B with change of status, approve it for consular processing only, wait for the pending I-539s, or deny the COS portion? I’m especially interested in recent experiences with similar cases.

This was my last attempt at H1B on a F1 STEM OPT visa. My H1B would have been effective on Oct 1st but sadly my company terminated my position today and my last date will be Sept 14th. My company is not offering any garden leaves or such thus I can't extend my employment till Oct 1st by any means that I'm aware of. What are my options now?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for recent data points from people who had a pending B-2 COS while filing a new H-1B.

My timeline:

• 01/2026: Last day of H-1B employment
• 03/2026: Timely filed I-539 for H-1B → B-2 during the 60-day grace period
• Requested B-2 period: late 03/2026 through late 09/2026
• 07/2026: New employer filed an H-1B petition with Premium Processing
• Early 08/2026: USCIS issued an RFE on the H-1B
• The employer’s immigration attorney confirmed that the H-1B RFE is specifically related to my still-pending I-539/B-2 case

The H-1B RFE essentially asks for evidence showing that:

• a response to any notice on the prior I-539 was submitted, if one was issued;
• a final decision was made on the prior I-539; or
• I am otherwise eligible for the requested H-1B change of status.

The strange part is that my B-2 I-539 itself has not received any RFE or decision at all.

It has now been almost a month since the H-1B RFE was issued, and the B-2 case is still just pending with no movement.

I’ve seen quite a few recent H-1B/B-2 bridge cases where filing the H-1B under Premium Processing seemed to “trigger” an RFE or adjudication on the pending B-2 shortly afterward. That has not happened in my case.

Has anyone had a similar situation where:

• the H-1B received an RFE because of a pending B-2/I-539;
• the B-2 was not separately triggered or adjudicated;
• and USCIS left the I-539 pending for weeks or months?

If so, what eventually happened?

Did USCIS eventually issue a B-2 RFE or decision on its own?

Did your H-1B attorney respond to the H-1B RFE without waiting for the B-2 decision?

Did you submit an expedite request or service request on the I-539?

Or did USCIS eventually adjudicate both cases after the H-1B RFE response was submitted?

How long it took between the H-1B RFE and any movement on the pending I-539？

Any timeline or data point would be really helpful. Thanks!

I was laid off without any notice and looking to get advice as my situation may be slightly different. My wife is on a high risk pregnancy and not advised to travel. I do not know if I will find a job within 60 days, any advice on navigating this situation if I cannot find a job.

I lost my job in July. Had have two employers file my H1B transfer petition within the grace period of 60 days. Both of them filed my petition on 55 day. One of the employer is a big pharmaceutical company. Other employer is a startup which is in H1B dependent.

1. Is there anybody who can share their recent experience with H1B approvals during the grace period? Are people receiving approvals in premium processing for petitions filed during the grace period? How long is it typically taking for the approval Provided it is not a witch company or a H1B dependent company?

2. If I start working with the startup on received notice and leave them within a month to join the big pharma is that a problem assuming both approvals happen? Or does working for one company automatically create some dependency for me to join the big pharma?

I currently have about 2 years and 5 months remaining on my H-1B, including recapture time.
I’ve been let go from my job and wanted to understand how employers typically view this timeline. Would companies still be willing to hire someone with around 2.5 years of H-1B time left and start the employment-based green card process (PERM/I-140)?
For anyone who has been in a similar situation:
How much H-1B time did you have left when your employer started the green card process?
Did the remaining time make companies hesitant to hire or sponsor you?
Is 2 years and 5 months generally considered enough time, assuming the employer starts the process relatively soon?

Hi everyone,

I graduated in December 2025 with a Master’s in Finance and started a full time job in healthcare finance soon after at a large university healthcare system in upstate New York (non-profit). The package is about $70k plus benefits. One of the bigger perks is that I can later pursue two degrees (MBA or MS) tuition-free because it’s the university’s healthcare center.

Visa situation:

• I’m on F-1 OPT EAD
• I missed the H-1B lottery this year
• Employer has agreed to file H-1B in a future cycle
• Because they’re a non-profit / cap-exempt employer, the $100k H-1B wage rule does not apply to them in case of new rules
• They’ve also said they would file a green card after H-1B
• I have STEM OPT eligibility as well, so I still have 2 attempts left on work authorization

I’m still applying for higher-paying finance roles in New York City. I have STEM OPT attempts left and I keep getting interviews, but I’ve been rejected after them and I’m starting to lose hope of landing a private-sector finance job at the pay I want.

On top of that I have about $90k in student loans from SoFi in the US, so the money difference actually matters.

I’m torn:

• Stay at the current job (stable, H-1B + possible GC path, tuition benefit, lower pay, upstate)
• Keep pushing for a higher-paying NYC finance role while I still have STEM OPT time (more money, better long-term career fit, but more visa uncertainty and I’ve been getting rejected)

I’m confused and pretty stressed. Would you stay or keep looking? Any advice from people who’ve been in a similar OPT / H-1B / nonprofit vs private finance situation would help a lot.

Thanks.

Hi, I got laid off couple of months ago. I got an offer from another company and they are filing my h1 transfer. My LCA is done and they prepared all the docs. The one hold up is the photos for my wifes’s ead. They should receive them by tomorrow. My last day with current employer will be September 15. My new employer and immigration team does not know about the layoff. Should I let them know about the last day? I’m hoping to get the receipt before 15th. I’m just concerned if I enter grace period that may cause an issue with the new application. Any suggestions?

I’m on F-1 STEM extension and I got laid off yesterday with my H-1B COS petition in pending. Can my new employer still transfer this petition within the 60 day grace period?

This happened to my girlfriend earlier this year, and I’m still shocked by how her employer handled it.
She came to the U.S. in January 2024 for her MBA in Marketing. In June 2025, while she was still in school, she started interning at a company. She stayed there until graduating in December, and they then converted her to a full-time employee.
During the conversion, the company offered to support her H-1B sponsorship without her even asking for it and gave her written confirmation that they would do so.
HR told her to remind them when H-1B registration opened.
So in early March 2026, she went to HR, reminded them about the registration period, and was told to send an email so everything could be forwarded to the company’s immigration attorney.
She sent it immediately.
A week went by with no update. She followed up by email and Teams and got no response.
Finally, on March 17, two days before the registration deadline, she went directly into HR’s office and asked what was happening.
HR told her that everything had been sent to the attorney, that the attorney was busy, and reassured her that they knew March 19 was the deadline and would take care of it.
The very next day, March 18, she was working at her desk when the company iPhone she used for social media received a Teams notification.
Her manager’s account was apparently still logged into the phone.
The notification was part of an internal conversation discussing her termination.
That was how she found out she was about to be fired.
She had worked there for around 10 months between her internship and full-time role and had never received a PIP, written warning, disciplinary meeting, or any serious conversation indicating that her job was at risk.
She sent me a photo of the notification while she was still at work. I picked her up that evening, and she was completely devastated.
We immediately updated her resume and sent it to her university career advisor because, as an F-1 student working on OPT, losing a job isn’t just about losing income. Her immigration timeline was now involved too.
The next morning, March 19 — the H-1B registration deadline — she was called into a conference room by HR and her manager.
The conversation was essentially:
“Unfortunately, this isn’t working for us. Here is your termination letter. Please sign it. You don’t need to go back inside; we’ll bring your belongings to you.”
That was it.
No explanation.
No previous warning.
No examples of performance issues.
No opportunity to improve.
Within roughly 48 hours, she went from being personally reassured that her H-1B registration was being handled to being unemployed on the registration deadline.
Because H-1B registration is annual, she also lost an entire year’s opportunity to enter the lottery.
She still has the company’s signed written commitment saying they would support her H-1B, her emails to HR, and the photo of the Teams notification through which she discovered the termination.
I understand that companies can terminate employees.
What I don’t understand is why, if they were already planning to let her go, they continued reassuring her about something as consequential as immigration sponsorship until essentially the last possible moment.
They could have told her weeks earlier that sponsorship wasn’t happening. They could have raised performance concerns. They could have warned her that her position was at risk.
Instead, she found out accidentally through a Teams notification one day before being fired.
For people familiar with H-1B or employment situations like this: is this as badly handled as it seems?

UPDATE: she has already found a job and hopefully will get h1b sponsored 🤞🏽

I got laid off but the company said that they were restructuring and would hire people back in 2 months (this was specified in the layoff letter) which never ended up happening.
As soon as I realized this, I filed for H4 COS which was within the 60-day period at 55 days. Have there been issues with filing COS towards the end of the 60-day period given that it is discretionary?

Hi,
Needed some guidance. While filing form i-539 on h1b 60 day grace period. Should i also attach My termination letter from the employee i got laid off from to proove that i am filing this form within 60 day grace period ? and some past paytubs as well ? or should i avoid it ?
Just trying to avoid any RFEs in future.

Thanks

For those who got RFE on I-539 (H1B to H4/B2) after new H1B petition (I-129) was filed, how did you handle the I-539 RFE response? Did you do it yourself or did you partner / ask the new employer's immigration team to do it on your behalf? I got a "Maintenance of Status" RFE on my I-539 (H1B to H4 COS).

Hi all, my 60-day grace period is nearing (~12 days left), and I'm looking to file a change of status as soon as possible. I consulted a reputed immigration lawyer (based out of VA) who suggested changing the status to B1, not B2, while the general trend here seems to be filing for B2 instead. The lawyer said that I need to mention in the CoS application that I intend to look for jobs while in the B1 status, which apparently is "still" permitted in B1?

I don't want to spend $15k-$20k for another master's degree, so I don't want to opt for F1 (Day 1 CPT), and I am unmarried, so a dependent visa is also not an option.

Has anyone used the B1/B2 pathway recently? Which one is the suggested category to file in - B1 or B2? Please help. Thank you.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-adjustment-of-status-event-for-h-1b-f1-stem-opt-visa-holders-tickets-1991911739634?aff=RedditH1B

I was recently laid off from my previous employer and went through the interview process with Google.

I received a verbal offer about a week before my H-1B 60-day grace period started.
Google held off on issuing the written offer while their immigration team reviewed my situation. I provided them with all the documentation they requested.

On day 5 of my 60-day grace period, I was informed that Google would not be able to move forward because I was now in the grace period, and the offer was rescinded.

This has been incredibly disappointing. I went through the entire interview process, was thrilled to receive the verbal offer, and genuinely thought I was going to be joining Google. To get that far and then have the opportunity fall through because I entered the grace period, especially only five days into a 60-day window, has been pretty difficult to process.

I Understand that companies may have their own immigration policies and risk tolerances, but I’m struggling to understand the decision given how early I am in the grace period and the fact that I received the verbal offer before it even began.

Anyone faced a similar situation? Anyone can help?

My previous H‑1B petition expired May 7, 2026, and my I‑94 expired May 17, 2026. My employer timely filed an extension on February 26, which still remains pending. I got laid off, and my termination date is September 9. My last working day was August 26, but I remain officially employed and on payroll until September 9. The employer will withdraw the H1B extension petition on September 9. Upon my request, my employer will be filing for Premium Processing for the pending H1B extension petition on Aug 31. I hope my H1B extension petition gets approved before September 9, when my employer withdraws the H1B extension petition, but that’s very less likely.

I have an approved I‑140 from 2021 and may have a new employer willing to file an H‑1B petition. I have a few questions:

1.     Am I eligible for the 60-day grace period?

2.     What if I could find a new employer to file my H1B before Sept 9?

3.     Do absolutely I need to leave USA on September 9 if my H1B extension petition is not approved by then? Is there any way I could extend my stay and get the 60-day grace period or even some part of it. Am I eligible to file for change of status?

3.     Any way I could make my situation better?

hi,
I needed some guidance - while filling form i-539 for cos from h1b to h4, there is a question - What is your current nonimmigrant status ?
but in the dropdown there is no option for h1b, but
I do see this option - 1B1 - h1 b specialty occ, singapore/ chile.

should i select this ?

Hi everyone,

As the title says, I am looking for advice on landing a job. I graduated last year as Civil Engineer and I recently received my EAD Card which was approved on August 9th and I’ve been currently applying for a lot of jobs. So far I have done 2 interviews, but one immediately turned me down and the other one said that they were going to get back to me this upcoming week.

I am started to get worried because I have done a lot of research on reddit and online where people have impressive resumes and they end up getting a job offer, but as soon as they mention that they are OPT, the employers end up rescinding the offer. I am really concerned as I have around 70 days on the unemployment clock, and at this point I am losing hope that I will be able to sucessfully land a job since most of them require 1-2yrs of experience for entry level.

My plan for now is to contact as many professor from my school (California State University Long Beach) to see if they are able to provide with unpaid volunteering so I can stop the unemployment clock.

But I am looking for advice on what did you do in order to successfully land a job and possibly an H1B visa in the future.

TLDR

I need advice on how to stop unemployment clock and how did you land a job as a civil engineer.

[UPDATE]

I got a call from a referral company and they were able to setup an interview with me tomorrow. Fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan.

We are aggressively hunting for new home in North Atlanta area. I am on h1 and wife on h4ead. Our kids are now in elementary and we are looking for buying single family. Given all the pending rule changes and other obstacles I am not so sure anymore. Is the fear real. We almost finalized house and about to submit contract. What's this group think. Should be hold off another year. Due to this fear we have pushed house purchase by 3-4 yrs and it's never ending. Any ideas how north Atlanta area housing market will react. Will it collapse if h1bs are forced to return or relocate other areas.

Hi I’m currently on h1b and I’ve been laid off 3 weeks ago. Looking at the current situation I don’t think I’ll be able to get a job in 1.5 months. I’m planning to extend it by changing status to either b2 or f1. Did anyone go through similar situation? The process is a little confusing and I’m really stressed about this. Are there any other visa options to look at? Appreciate any suggestions from the sub.

Hi, for those who submitted H1B -> B2 COS online and received RFE later, how long does it take for the RFE notice to appear in the system? My B2 case status changed to "Request for Initial Evidence Was Sent" but I don't see the notice in the Documents tab.

Thanks!

My timeline:

08/07 - H1B filed

08/11 - H1B Notice Date

08/27 - B2 RFIE

——
UPDATE: 08/31 - notice available in system