One of the questions recently asked was, “Is it mandatory to have work experience to apply for H1 visa?”
Quick answer: NO.
The important thing that USCIS considers when they look at your H1B petition is to validate if you have the enough skills to work in a particular role or position. The key thing is, the position you are applying to matches with your area of education and your expertise. The attorneys write up the paperwork matching your skill set with your position description.
Ideally, it is recommended to have internship experience. If you are a student in US, your work experience either on CPT or OPT helps and makes the case stronger. If you are a student in US, working in OPT for some time and then applying will be perfect. But, if you are student from India, you can still apply for H1B petition with your courses, other project work and maybe some internship experience. If filing without experience, you have to make sure that the application filed is related to your degree of study. Typically, if you have a degree in Computer Sciences, then you will be ideal for H1B petition for any IT related job. If your background is Electronics, then you will be perfect for applying for electronics engineer kind of positions. General recommendation for coming to US on H1B from India is to have at least one or two years of experience. If you are studying masters degree in India, you can work part time and fill in the experience part and make the case stronger.
Hello Saurabh,
I was informed by my employer that my Petition will be converted to Premium Processing as I got RFE but later, I didn’t hear anything from Employer about PP.
I do my Petition#, Is there anyway I can find out from USCIS Portal or any where if my Petition converted PP yet?
Thanks in advance.
Srinivas
Srinivas,
When it is upgraded to PP, the online status will say something like “on xxx we received request to upgrade to PP” etc.
This has been my progression starting from :-
3 years Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management
2 years as a trainee in a hotel in India( this was also a 2 year post grad dip in hotel management)
2 years as a manager in a hotel in India
2 years as a teacher in a hotel school in Middle East
1 year MBA in US
Currently working through a desi consulting company on a IT project for a long term govt/state project.
My employer ( desi consulting company) will be filling for my H1B in APRIL 2013.
Ofcourse, when I came to US for MBA I have given all my past background details of experience and education which was non IT to USCIS.
Now when my visa will be filed, what are the odds of acceptance/rejection/RFE/approval of my h1b.
My desi consulting company is not a big one bit has been doing this business for sometime now.
Hi Saurabh,
I have done B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. 2007 passed out. I have 5 years of experience in IT. In May 2012 my employer has filed H1B petition. I got RFE for Education, Experience evaluation , Client letter and SOW in September. My employer has evaluated my Education and experiences from 3rd party evaluator and also got client letter, SOW and submitted them a week back to USCIS. Is this enough for USCIS to provide approval? Experience evaluation report has been prepared by some professor from a US university. What are the chances of getting approval?
Venkat,
It is not possible to tell the chances of approval. You and employer can prepare the documents to the best of your ability and then hope for the best.
Hi,My education qualification is
BSC(Maths,physics,Chemistry)
MSC physics
I worked 3yrs in IT in India and studied Ms in Us in non-recognized university and having 2 yrs IT exp in US.I’m having Indian exp revealing letters but don’t have us exp letters but having US W2 forms.
Pls let me know i’m eligible for H1B or not?
Puri,
You should get your degrees and certificates evaluated by an education evaluation agency to know the US equivalent. If they are equivalent to 4 years Bachelors, then its fine. Else you need to at least 3 years of relevant work experience for each missing year of education.
Hi Saurabh,
I have overall 9 years experience in IT industry and my total experience 9 years 4 months.
5 years into IT, I changed the job and worked as management trainee for 4 months and I did not like it and went back to IT. I have got a proper offer letter and departure letter for this 4 months stint. Since this was the not a relevant experience the next companies that I joined did not consider this and it eventually got dropped off since the stint was very very less and is not counted in my relevant experience also.
Now my employer is filing for H1-B, I am not sure whether I should be including this or not. In India any gap of less than 6 months is not counted. If they find this in the background check, will it be an issue ? but I have the necessary letters and it not a relevant experience.
Thanks,
Vidya
Vidya,
It would be ok to skip these 4 months as it is not really related to your H-1 job. It is ok for a person to have been unemployed in b/w when applying for H-1 visa.
Hi ,
This is Rahul. I have few concerns on H1B visa . My education backgroup is as foll0ws.
B.Com,MCA ( 2010 Passout)both are regular.
Current I am working in an MNC. This is my first company.
Please clarify on the below …
1)Am I eligible for H1B ?
2)This is my 1st company. I don’t have any experience letter. How can I proceed to apply for
H1B ?
3) Should I need experience letter to apply ?
Regards,
Rahul.
Rahul,
B.Com was not related to IT, but MCA is. So you may have tough time in getting H-1 approved for a IT position. One should be qualified for the offered position and if the person doesn’t have relevant education and not enough relevant experience, then it becomes really tough.
Have you shortlisted an employer?
Hi there,
I m s/w engineer and hving 2.5 yrs work experience in java technology , i am looking for next (2013) year h1b sponsership , how shld b my apprach i mean how to apply n how to knw who ll b the sponser?
…… plz help me out…….
Shree,
You need to find an employer willing to file H-1 for you. They can do it in April 2013, and if everything goes fine then you can start working from Oct 2013.
Hi – first of all, this site has been quite a handy for all H-1B applicants.
I have 15 Yrs of education with around 6 Yrs of IT experience with reputed companies and my current employer filed H-1B for me and I got RFE, deadline to submit documents to USCIS is November 29. Due to the large volume of RFE cases, my employer will probably resumbit my documents (client letter, not related to education documents) in 2nd week of November.
– Can you please let me if my employer sumbits my documents, how much it might take for USCIS to approve my petition?
– As I have 15 Yrs of education and USCIS didn’t talk about my education in RFE, what are my chances to go through?
– If my petition goes with Premium processing, how much USCIS might take to approve my case.
Thanks,
Srinivas
Srinivas,
1. RFE response can take 2-4 months to process. There is no fixed processing time, and even this can change
2. They would adjudicate the petition within 15 calendar days if it has been upgraded to PP
Thanks a ton Saurabh.
Could you please let me know if my H-1B is being processing, Will I be eligible for applying Business Visa as my Manager wanted me to get transitioned at US. Since RFE might take a while, meanwhile please confirm if I am eligible for applying Business Visa.
Thanks,
Srinivas
Hi Saurabh,
Request you to please let me know if I am eligible for applying Business Visa when my H-1B is being processed with RFE. The purpose of Business Visa is to get transitioned on the Product on which I’ll require to work on.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Srinivas
Srinivas,
If you have valid reasons for Business visa, then you can go for it. There can be an issue b/c of pending H-1 petition as business visa is a pure non-immigrant visa while H-1 is a dual intent visa. However, I think the chances of this happening are low especially b/c your H-1 is not approved yet.
Thanks a ton Saurabh for the update !!
Hi Saurabh,
I recently graduated with a MBA degree majoring in Finance from a US university, before that I have MS in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited US university. I also have my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering which is evaluated as equivalent to BS Mechanical engineering by wes.
Currently, I am on my OPT and getting training from an IT consulting company for Business analyst and Quality Assurance. Recently, one of my friend who works in a reputed US telecommunication company(who filed approx 300 h1b’s last year and none of them were denied) contacted me and arranged an interview with his hiring manager.
The manager liked me and is willing to offer a full-time job as a Wireless Field test engineer, and they will be filing my h1b next year i.e. Apr 2013.
So, what are my chances of getting approval for h1b with the telecommunication company? Shall I stay with the current consulting company, who are promising to get me a project asap or shall I go for the full-time job with the telecommunication company as a Field test engineer?
Any help will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Saurav
Saurav,
I don’t know how the two jobs stack against each other, but just from H-1 approval perspective it is better to go for a renowned employer than a small consulting firm, and also for a job related to your education. There have been instances of USCIS issuing RFE when the person doesn’t have education/experience related to offered H-1 position requirements.
Hi,
I applied H1B in april 2012 got rfe for employee-employer relation and eligibility for speciality occupation.
case got denied after submitting rfe due to irrelevant education.
my education -btech biotech and 1year diploma in computers.
2years work exp in programer analyst(but did’nt submitted exp letter)
reopened(mtr) with education evaluation and experience letters.
what are my chances of approval?
thanks in advance
Varsha,
It is tough to say. USCIS will review the documents and then adjudicate. They can also think why the experience letter wasn’t submitted earlier even after issuing the RFE (in other words they may question the genuineness of the letter).
Hi,
Hope you’ll find a way for me!!
– I’m an Engineering Graduate (ECE) passed out in Nov, 2010.
– % is 56
– Joined an MNC in Customer Support department (That is not relevant) and Now with 2 years of work experience.
Now I want to proceed for MS or If I can get any Work with my experince in US.
I have to do this because I cannot survive with this academics here and hence want to enhance my academics.
Please please please suggest me what to do.
Hi
I want to explain my case here. I was a 2008 Engineering passed out guy.
after that, to pursue my masters I had visited UK on a Student visa, but I could not complete my masters and had to come back to India on 2010. I had joined in a reputed company in 2011 by telling them I had 3 years experience and I did not tell about my Visa. now my company wants to process my B1 for an onsite Training for this year.
Could you please tell me How hard it would be for me to get the B1 Visa? Please let me know.
Thanks
Nanmaran
Hi
I want to explain my case here. I was a 2008 Engineering passed out guy.
after that, to pursue my masters I had visited UK on a Student visa, but I could not complete my masters and had to come back to India on 2010. I had joined in a reputed company on 2011 and the company wants to process my B1 for an onsite Training for this year.
Could you please tell me How hard it would be for me to get the B1 Visa? Please let me know.
Thanks
Nanmaran
Hi,
Its really sad to say that, I faced different issue in my H1b. I have attended H1b interview on 30th Nov 2007 in Mumbai. I qualified in interview and i got H1b Visa. After 4 days i got call from US Consulate from Mumbai. They said u have some printing mistake in u r visa, so can u come once to consulate. Then have reached US consulate that day noon. After long time waiting they called me and said we have a report regarding u r experience in india. So u r lieing with US Consulate. Previously i was worked in Wipro,Tcs,Accenture and i was terminated with some causes, and i worked very few days like 1 month for each company
So i didn’t mentioned regarding that experiences, i was mentioned only my starting and latest worked company. My latest company was Accenture, but i was terminated from that company also, due to some problem. I kept that company name, then the us consulate find out from that companies.Then i have no chance, so i was withdrawl my H1b visa application. they cancelled my H1b visa.
Thanks
Raj
I have a question, I read this post on one of the H1B blogs and wondered that how the US embassy got to know about his previous working experience? please let me know if you know anything about the process how the embassy will follow.
If anyone can answer this query please give me the solution in detail.
u will never get visa now…forging document is worst offense specially dealing with US Counsulate…somebody who knows ur case must have reported it…now days USCIS does background checks and employer don’t take risk so u r out of race now…try after 4-5 years…but now u will always run the risk as you hv given ur bio-metric information
Hello Please help me I am in a fix.
I had 1 year experience in IT before I joined my current project. My current project ran for 1yr 3 months. Now the current client wants to hire me full time and sponsor my visa next year in Apr (This would add another 7 months of work experience, totaling 2 year 10 mos at the time of filing).
Now I also I have another offer good until Aug next year and extendable to another year through my consulting firm.
Now the catch, I have MS in freakin Mechanical Engineering!!!
So my question is, Should I stick with my current client, become full time with them and file for H1 next year or Stick with my consulting firm and Join the new long term project and file my H1 through the consulting firm next year using the client letter?
Will consulting firm make a better filing for me than the client keeping in mind my educational background?
Shiven,
I have seen few cases recently where education was an issue (it was non-CS). However, filing through a big reputed employer is always the best. If your client has a good immigration team, they can look at your profile and evaluate the risk involved.
Hi
I am wondering if I can apply for H1B with the following education and experience.
1) Bachelor of Art in Language and Literature
2) 1 year full time Information Technology certificate course from College.
3) 8 years experience in IT
Thank you in advance,
Yoo,
You may be eligible for H-1 but nothing can be said concretely. You will have to get your education evaluated by equivalency agency and then need to have work experience relevant to offered H-1 position.
Hey Saurabh,
Need an urgent help from you!
My Profile: 6+ yrs exp in IT with approved L1 and B1 in past.
I filed H1B this year with MNC IT Company. Recently my employer made it PP. As soon my petition went into PP i got RFE. RFE is due to below:
1) My Eduction Qualification: I have done BE in Chemical Engg(from good college) with 6+ years in IT. I am very much worried as u can see i m non-Comp Graduate applying H1 for IT job. Can you please let me know what documentation will be sufficient enough as response of this RFE. My company is going to get my educational evaluation done as part of this RFE.
2) Client Information and Client Agreement: My Company is going to provide that. No worries about this.
Thanks in Advance!
🙁
H1B2012Applicant,
You need to show how you qualify for the position. Take each job requirement and mention how you satisfy it based on your education, experience, training etc.
Hi,
First of all your site is amazing and quite helpful.
My question is I have done B.E in Electronics & Instrumentation and have 6.5 years of work experience in Automation testing. I came to US last yr on H4 and could not file for H1. Next year if I file there would be a gap of 2 years of no work.Will this hamper my chances of getting H1?
Thanks
Hi Saurabh,
I would really appreciate if you could answer my query too.
Thanks
Mady,
It will not make you ineligible for H-1, but companies may look at it adversely. I assume you will be targeting jobs in automation testing. In that case, keep yourself aware and versed w/ latest happenings in this field (open source tools etc), so that the break doesn’t become a handicap.
Does that answer your question?
Hi,
My H1B was filed before the cap reached, by one of the leading IT firm. Employer received the receipt as well. But, I have a few queries regarding the Education evaluation. Below is what I have wrt my education & experience.
1). 3 years of graduation (B.Sc) in Bio-Technology
2). 1 year Post graduate Diploma in Bio-Informatics (This is through Distance Education)
3). 6.3 years of IT experience
Please let me know if there would be any concern raised over my Education Evaluation.
regards,
Anu
Anu,
It should be ok. BTW, did you get education equivalency certificate while filing H-1? If yes, then that would have addressed this concern.
Hi , Saurabh , I have done B.Pharmacy (4 year degree ) in 2010 , but i have no experience cercificate as i left my job in the mid and start preparing for Ielts and also one 6 month computer course , Can i go to U.S. on H1 visa ? What are my chances ? plz reply…..eagerly waiting to hear from you…
Gagan,
If you have done 4 years of college education, then you may qualify. However, it will be really difficult to find good employers w/o any job experience. You may also want to get your degrees and marksheets evaluated by an education equivalency agency, which will tell you the US equivalent of your education.
Lastly, the quota for this year is almost gone. So you may look for the next fiscal year.
Thanks for the early reply ,
Hi , i aslo want to know about my prospects – As now my marriage is all set to held in December or January with a U.S. Green card holder girl , but i am from India …,,, i want to know how early can i go to U.S. with my wife after marriage . Should they find any employer in U.S. who can send me H1 visa or any other way to accompany them to U.S. , as i have done B.PHARMACY from India ( 4 Year degree ) after +12. Suggest me the ways to accompany them after marriage in Dec or Jan. to accompany them as early as possible…Looking for the early response from you again… Thanks In Advance
Gagan,
If you go the H-1 route, then the earliest date to enter is Oct 2013. I don’t know how early you can enter US as a spouse of GC holder.
Hi
This is Srikanth. I have 16 years of Education in India with having a bachelors in Electronics and communication Engineering. and after my Bachelors I did a PGDiploma in Telecommunications and Computer Networks from an University at London. currently iam working in a Indian IT company with having 16 months(1 year 4 months) of experience. will i be eligible to for a H1B Visa?
PLease let me know
Srikanth Koya,
If you have done 4 years of college education, then you should be eligible.
Thanks for you reply.
could you please tell me How can an Individual apply for a H1B Visa.
I heard that individuals applying have a very high chances of getting the visa rejected.
do i have to find a sponsor company in USA for applying my H1B.
Please Let me know
Srikanth Koya,
Only employers can file for H-1 visa. One cannot apply H-1 for himself or herself.
Hi ,
I have educational degree(IT) of 15 years and 4 years of work experience in IT.
am i eligible for H1b visa?
please let me know
Thanks
Vasu,
So you have education of 12+3 years. Usually one needs 4 years of college degree equivalent to US Bachelors to qualify. If the person has 3 years of equivalent education, then at least 3 years of relevant work experience is required. So at a high level you look qualified, but you would know more once the employer submits your degree and marksheets to an education equivalency agency in US. They would determine how many US equivalent years of education you have, and you will then to have to show relevant work experience to make up for the missing years of education.
Hi, I am a B.Sc graduate hence having 15 Yrs of education with 5.5 Yrs of exp in IT Industry. My company initiated the H1B Processing for me, I read it some where that 16 Yrs of education is mandatory for H1B but I don’t have.
Could you please update me if I am eligible for H1B Processing?
Srini,
One needs to have 4 years of college degree equivalent to US Bachelors in order to qualify for H-1. If the person has (for example) 3 years of college degree, then the person needs to have 3 years of relevant work experience in lieu of that missing year (i.e. 3 years of work experience for each missing year of education).
You should get your degree evaluated by an education equivalency agency in US, and they can tell you the US equivalent of your education. You can then see if you have necessary experience to compensate for those missing years or not.
Hi Saurabh,
Thanks much for your response.
As my company has initiated the H1B Processing for me, how would I be able to get my degree evaluated by an education equivalency agency in US? Could you suggest if I need to inform my company Visa processing team explicitly about my degree (though I have submitted all of my documents) or should I do anything explicitly from my end?
Please suggest. Thanks !!!
Srini,
The company might do that as part of H-1 petition filing. You can ask them if they would be doing that as part of petition filing or not.
Thanks Saurabh, Will find out from my company VISA team.
Hi HSB,
I am a B.E.(non-IT) from NIT(Formerly knows as REC)…I have 6+ exp in IT with Fortune 500 Companies…I even stayed in US for couple of years on L1 and even got my L1 extended with stamping in 2009 which i didn’t used…I got B1 stamping last year and travelled for a month…this year i hv filled my H1B with a MNC company(m in India)…they have good H1 approval(99%) as i checked last year H1 data…wht do u think about my case…m planning to do Premium Processing…will it have any adverse effect
H1B2012Applicant,
There is never a 100% safety when applying H-1. If you qualify for the offered position and your employer is a reputable qualified one, then it is much safer.
Hi Saurabh
My education is BE- Marine (4 years) from a Very reputed college in India. Then i also have 2 years full time MBA with 5 subjects in IT ( 2 core and 3 electives). This is also from one of the top Notch college in India.
I have 6 years + of IT experience again in Top 3 Indian Companies. In addition i have 4 years of experience in Industry. Have travelled to almost 6 countries on Work Permit.
I got m L1 denail in 2010 (lack of speciality skills) and again H-1 denial in 2010 ( Recognized my 16 years but mentioned it is not relevant to my job profile in IT) and also mentioned MBA is a general qualification and not a specialized one.
This year again 2 employers are filing my H1, can you suggest what best i can do to not get into denial or RFE route. It has to be filed in next 1 week.
I am working in SAP Consulting which has work which is quite relevant to my MBA, Industry experience and IT experience. Can you suggest a way or an Attorney to guide me?
Thanks a Ton
ABC,
You need to submit information to show how you qualify for the offered position. You can submit a letter explaining how your education and past experience qualifies you for the positions being offered by the two employers. Do let your employers know about your past denial, so that they can better prepare your application.
Hi,
I did my Bsc(computers), after that MBA Hr,and iam having 2 years experience as Hr.
Now i got married and he is woring in US.Now am in US and am interested in working in IT.
to get H1 is my qualification is suitable or not?
if not what i need to do to get H1?
i need to do any other degree or if i can go for online IT courses?
Can You please suggest me.
Swapna,
To be qualified for H-1 you need to have at least 4 years of college education (equivalent to US Bachelors) and apply for a job that is specialized enough to require 4 years college degree. So you should get your degrees evaluated by education equivalency agency to know the US equivalent and then apply for H-1. As you don’t have any IT experience, it may be difficult to land w/ good jobs.
Hi Saurabh,
have incomplete Engineering Degree in Electronics and Communication and I have around 9 years of experience in Software Testing, do let me know my chances of getting the work permit visa from US or from any country.
Thanks
Keshav
Keshav,
You seem to be qualified for H-1. Chances of approval will depend upon your qualifications for the offered position, employer’s profile etc.
Hi,
I have a bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronics engineering (4 yrs) from India and a work experience of almost 1.5yrs in a well reputed company who is a global giant in the same field. I am presently doing my MS in electrical engineering on an F1 visa and just completed my first semester. I would like to work and study due to some monetary requirements. What are my chances of getting an H1B visa?
Rashmi,
You are eligible for H-1 visa. Now it comes down whether you are able to find an employer willing to sponsor H-1 for a position that matches your skillset. You can search for employers on US job sites, through your network of friends and colleagues and list of past filers available at FlcDataCenter
Hi Saurabh,
I am working in ABC company in US on H1B and my wife got H4. Now, my employer is ready to process H1 for my wife! Please tell me my employer can process H1 to my wife? as her H4 has company name “ABC” printed will it be any problem to process H1 from the same company?
Thanks
Shri
Shri,
They can process her H-1 and the fact that you are also employed w/ them will not be an issue.
Hi,
I am a IT Engg. graduate with 2+ years of software experience and I have been on H4 visa in USA for the previous 5 years doing NO work. Can I apply for H1B visa this year and what are the chances of my application getting approved?
Thanks!
RLC,
If you have completed 4 years of college education, then you are eligible for H-1. However, it may be difficult to find good employers considering the fact that you have not worked for last 5 years.
I have 10 years of basic education 2002 (india SSC) and then i did my diploma in for 3 years (2005) after which i started working for a good company in india and parallel to it i did my degree level course for another 2 years… I have been working for 4+ years in india after diploma then i came to us from my indian based company on l1 and worked here for 1+ year. Now i wanted to do my H1 from a US based company.
Would i be able to get a h1 visa. please help as i am too worried about my case…
Dinesh,
You should get your degrees and marksheets evaluated by an education equivalency agency in US. They will let you know what’ the US equivalent of your education. If they confirm that you have 3 years of US equivalent, then you need at least 3 years of relevant work experience to qualify for H-1. One needs to have to at least 3 years of relevant work experience for each missing year of education when compared to 4 years of US Bachelors.
I have heard that we need 4 years of higher level education so does my 3 year diploma and 2 years of degree level course with 6+ years of experience sounds about enough for me to go ahead with filing the h1. as i am in a hurry to do so instead of waiting for evaluation
Dinesh,
It’s not a simple math like you are doing. A person can study from mom & pop school and say that they are qualified. USCIS wants to be sure that the education one has done is at par w/ US Bachelors – not just in terms of years but also in terms of quality.
This is where education equivalency agency comes into picture, who will go through your school, degree, marksheet and transcript and tell whether it is equivalent to 3 years or 4 years of 5 years. So I would suggest to get it done especially if you are not from one of the prominent schools (BTW, I know people who have done Engineering from IIT and still get their degrees evaluated).
You can try to cut the corners, but remember it can result in RFE and then you will have to get this done. Is your attorney ready to file w/o the evaluation?
hi,
i have completed one year m.b.a and four years b.b.a degree major in accounting. but i don’t have any work experience. how can i apply for h1b visa. do i need a work experience or not. if i need then how many years do i need work experience. please advise me..
Dev,
There are companies that will be ready to offer you employment based on your education and zero experience. If those are consulting companies, then it will be pretty difficult to land w/ good client projects w/ no experience. My suggestion would be to first have work experience in your home country and then go for H-1 visa. If you have done Masters in US, then it’s a different story.
Hello Saurabh,
My employer is filing my H1 and from last 6 years I live in Delhi, Me and my wife’s passports were issued from Kolkata (in 2005) as we originally from there, My question is, if I will get the H1 then, in which US Embassy I should apply for stamping Delhi or Kolkata. If it is Delhi then should we apply for address change in our passport? Please assist me. I am eager to know this. Thanks in advance.
Regards-
Kausik
Kausik Chatterjee,
It is fine. Passport address can be different from current address. Passports will be mailed to your current address and not the one in passport.
I have done Bsc.(2 years)from Calcutta University, Diploma in computer in Office Management(1 year) from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and 3 years PG Diploma in System Management (GNIIT) from NIIT and having 11+ years of overall IT experience .
Am I eligible for applying a H1B for an IT job and what are the chances of approval.
Thanks,
Kaushik
Kaushik,
At a high level you might be. The basic requirement is at least 4 years of education equivalent to 4 years US college degree, and then at least 3 years of relevant work experience for each missing year of education.
You can submit your degrees and marksheets to an education equivalency agency in US, and they can confirm what’s the US equivalent of your education. You will then know how many years of relevant work experience is required (if any).
Hi
I completed my eng in 5 years due to backlogs.Even during the backlogs period i was working in IT and with that experience I have moved to one of the top MNCs now.My question is will my additional year cause issue in applying for h1 in future.Please advise.
Muthu,
No, it won’t adversely impact your H-1 in future.
Hi
I hve nearly 8+ years of experience but my education is like 2001 i have passed my BSc first year degree and the 2nd and final year is i migrated to another university as lateral entry distance mode. passed after 7 years of my experience. So now i would like to apply for H1b i do have a sponcer. Now what are the chances to get the visa
Thanks,
Suresh
Suresh,
You need to submit your degrees and marksheets to education equivalency agency in US. Once they determine that you have education equivalent to at least 4 years of US Bachelors, you will be considered to be eligible for H-1. If it comes out to be 3 years equivalent, then you need to have at least 3 years of relevant work experience for each missing year.
Hello Surabh
Each missing year means the year gap or the degree 3 years like 1st year degree = 3 years of exp, 2nd year degree = 3 years of exp and 3rd year degree = 3 years of exp right?
Thanks,
Suresh
Suresh,
Let’s say the agency says your education is equivalent to 3 years of US college degree. This means your education has a gap of 1 year when compared to US Bachelors, and you need to have at least 3 years of relevant work experience. It’s not a break in studies but gap in US equivalency. Makes sense?
It s good…
I am B.Com Computers from S.K.university, A.P
Done MBF via Distance
Had 3+ Domain Exp
Had 3 yrs CA Articleship
Had SAP FICO 3+
Do i get H1B Visa , do companies sponser or consultancy in Bangalore, India
B.com with 6 years of experience is eligible for H1B…but they will not consider the Distance
Hi, I am B.Sc graduate and have 5.5 Yrs of IT exp and recently my company initiated the H1B for me… I am eligible to get the Visa correct? Please confirm
Srinivas,
At a high level you look to be qualified. Your employer should also submit education equivalency certificate from an agency when submitting your petition to show that you have the necessary minimum education/experience required for H-1.
Thank you Saurabh. Do I need to inform my employer or team who handles Immigration related queries that they should submit education equivalency certificate while submitting H1?
Srinivas,
Usually almost all employers submit that document when the applicant hasn’t completed their study in US. Check w/ your employer if they are submitting that document or not.
Is it hard to get H1 if we have 3 layers (Client-vendor1-vendor2-employer). I have all the letter from everyone? Is there any assumption when H1 quota going to end this year? I heard its going to be very early this time.
I did Masters in chemistry in U.S. But from last 1 year I am working in IT. I worked 2 years in IT before Masters. I have 2 IT certificates. Can I apply for H1 with my current IT job. Can you please suggest me few good employers who do that (As you said so many bad fishes in pond…I am worried).
Naveeen,
I don’t know any employers that I can recommend you. However, I have seen few RFEs recently where USCIS has asked the relation b/w education and offered position. So if you go for an IT job, you will have to show how you qualify for the position. It is then up to the case officer how to interpret it.
Master degree (Non-conforming subject) with 3 years of IT experience is eligible for H1B…
Conforming subjects: IT, CSE, Software, Electronics
Non-conforming subjects: Mechanical, Civil, Chemical etc..
hi
i think this is the right place to clarify my doubts .I’m on h4 visa&recently i’ve taken online training in SAP fico.Now i got an opportunity to do one implementation internship.Is it ok to do according to my h4 visa status?I want to do job here so what r the chances of getting h1b visa.My education details are B.com regular and M.com correspondence course.Could u please clarify my doubts.
You can do the internship as long as you are not paid for it. You can NOT get paid on H-4, but can volunteer.
For H-1, you need to find an employer willing to sponsor H-1 for you for your skill-set. Once approved, you can start working on H-1. As you don’t have an exact 4 years college degree, you should get your degrees evaluated by an education evaluation agency in US to see if you even qualify for H-1 or not. One needs to have at least 4 years of college education or at least 3 years of relevant work experience for each missing year of education.
thank u very much.
Hi, I am Srinivas and have about 5 Yrs of IT Experience and have 15 Yrs of education. Am I eligible for H1?
You should be. You should still get your degrees evaluated by an education evaluation agency.
Hi,
I have around 2years experience in IT field and now my employer is sponsoring H1-B for me. What are the chances of getting the VISA ? I am from a non- IT background and what additional precautions should I take while filling the documents.
Thank you
Subash
Be sure that you are filing through a credible employer. Also, your employer will have to show that you have necessary experience that makes up for the handicap (i.e. non-IT background). Remember there are more bad fishes in the pond, so be sure to file through a good employer.
Hi,
Bachelor of Engg/Tech or Master degree (Non-conforming subject) with 3 years of IT experience is eligible for H1B…
check your subject below:
Conforming subjects: IT, CSE, Software, Electronics
Non-conforming subjects: Mechanical, Civil, Chemical etc..
For USA it is mandatory of 3yrs exp for non-conforming subject is must now…until and unless the client is forcing you to do the process…
check with ur employer and ALL THE BEST
Sir i have completed my Diploma in tools and die making can i get VISA for us becouse i have 10+2+4 years of education and the last 4years education certified by AICTE. Can i get work permit and how can i evalute my education with US education…please reply,,,,,Thanks
You should get your education evaluated by an education evaluation agency in US. Even though in terms of number of years, it comes out to be 16 years of education, but the agency will tell you the equivalent US years of education (and this is what matters and needs to be 16). You then need to find an employer ready to sponsor your H-1. The job should be specialized enough to require 4 years of college degree, and your employer should be competent enough to pay you for that job.
Thank U
Hi Guys,
This is truly a wonderful site and a treasure trove information for almost everything related to the visa process. I have a question myself.
I have an engineering degree in Information Science and have 2 years work experience. But, during my engineering days, I lost 2 years. To be eligible for H1B visa, should I 2 more years of work experience? If not, what does “A person then needs to have at least 3 years of relevant experience for each missing year of education” exactly mean?
I have one more request. Can you guys post a separate section for all the technical “jargons” used like OPT, CPT giving a brief description? This would help the ones who are new to this process.
Thank you and keep up the awesome work!
You said you have an engineering degree. If that is a 4 year degree then you have 12+4 years of education and you should be fine. It doesn’t need to be continuous education, but 16 years in total.
If a person has a B.Sc degree then it would have been 15 years degree. In this case, the person needs to have worked for at least 3 years in order to make up for the missing one year. Does that help?
Thanks for the quick reply Saurabh. That helped. Do you think gap in education can have an effect during the visa process? I would probably apply for a job and not higher studies(at least not now). If anyone has had this kind of situation and has made it to the US on an H1B, please let me know.
I don’t think gap in education will have an adverse effect. It is common for people to delay their Masters degree by skipping a quarter or two. So it should be acceptable to do the same during Bachelors.
Thanks Saurabh. Much appreciated.
Hi,
I have heard that it is mandatory to hav 16 yrs of education to qualify for H1b Visa. is it true?
I have 12 yrs of school + 3 years of bachelors degree and 10 years of work experienc in IT. Doe this makes me eligible to get H1B visa?
please share your expert opinion.
Regards,
As far as I know, commonly to qualify for H1B, you are required to have at least a Bachelor degree. Sometimes if you don’t have a degree, your experience will be considered. The rule is every 3-year of work experience equals to 1-year of college education. So if you don’t have a Bachelor degree, you need to have at least 12 years of work experience and you will need a strong good case of expert evaluation of your experience when applying for H1B.
By the way, 12 years of school, or 16 years or 20 years of school won’t mean anything. Only a degree and work experience count.
Thanks a ton for your help. I have 15 Yrs of education and 5 Yrs of work exp, so I am eligible for H1 right? Just checking as I have a chance of flying on H1…
A person needs to have 12 + 4 years of education w/ 4 years education being equivalent to US Bachelors. A person then needs to have at least 3 years of relevant experience for each missing year of education.
What you need to do is to get your degree evaluated by education evaluation agencies in US. Assuming they say your 3 years of education is equivalent to 2 years of US degree. In that case, you need to have 6 years of relevant experience. As you already have 10 years of experience, my guess is that you would be eligible.
Hi,
I completed my software testing course and came to usa on H4 visa….I didnt get chance to do job. Now I want to apply for H1 visa. How can I get that?
You will have to find an employer who is willing to sponsor H-1 for you. Other than that, you need to have right experience and expertise to compete w/ other applicants in order to land w/ a good project. It’s one thing to have H-1 filed, it’s another thing to find a good project.
Hi, i am Rahul. I have done B.sc (3 years)in Hotel Management and i am working as a cheff in a hotel from last 2 years. So tell me that am i eligible for H1-B visa and what’s the total fees(cost) of it? plz tell me. Thanks.
Well, Rahul I do not know the correct details because you are in Hotel Management. You might fall under different visa category because of your background. Check USCIS website for more info.
Hi Kumar
Does one have to go through an attorney or can they file the H1B themselves?
Thanks
Robin
You cannot file H1B on your own. You need a sponsor or company to do that. The company files H1B petition using the help of attorney.
Hi,
Info on your website is really helpful. I have a question. I have done B.Tech Mechanical Engg. and I am working in TCS as a software developer for the past 4 years. Am I eligible for applying a H1B for an IT job and what are the chances of approval
Thanks
Ramesh
You are completely eligible as I said in the article. I know people who have no experience and got H1B. The key thing is how your attorney present your skills and file the H1B visa petition.