The window to apply for US visa sponsorship jobs is always open for some employer somewhere — and in 2026, the volume of roles actively accepting applications from internationally trained professionals is as high as it has been in recent years. From hyperscale technology companies filing thousands of Labor Condition Applications per quarter, to cap-exempt universities and nonprofit research organisations that sponsor year-round without lottery constraints, the US employer-sponsored work visa market is active, accessible, and broad enough to accommodate professionals across dozens of occupations and industries.
The challenge for most international applicants is not the absence of sponsored roles — it is knowing which employers are genuinely accepting applications right now, how to verify their sponsorship intent before investing significant effort, which visa categories apply to which situations, and how to position an application to move efficiently from submission to offer to approved work authorisation.
This guide addresses all of those questions directly — providing a comprehensive, verified framework for finding, evaluating, and applying to US visa sponsorship jobs that are accepting applications now.
Which US Visa Categories Are Open to New Applications Right Now
Not all US employer-sponsored visa categories are open at all times of the year. Understanding which pathways are currently accepting applications — and which are constrained by annual caps or fixed filing windows — is the essential first step before targeting specific employers.
| Visa Category | Currently Accepting Applications | Annual Cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| H-1B (Cap-Subject) | For next October 1 cycle — employer recruitment active now | 85,000 per year | Lottery registration opens March 2027 — recruit and build relationship now for next cycle |
| H-1B (Cap-Exempt — Universities, Nonprofits) | Yes — year-round, no lottery | None | Immediate employment possible upon approval |
| L-1A / L-1B (Intracompany Transfer) | Yes — year-round | None | Requires prior employment with foreign affiliate |
| O-1A (Extraordinary Ability) | Yes — year-round | None | Requires evidence of extraordinary achievement in field |
| TN Visa (USMCA) | Yes — year-round | None | Canadian and Mexican nationals in listed professions only |
| E-3 Visa | Yes — year-round | 10,500 (rarely exhausted) | Australian nationals in specialty occupations only |
| H-1B1 Visa | Yes — year-round | 6,800 (rarely exhausted) | Chilean and Singaporean nationals only |
| EB-2 / EB-3 Green Card | Yes — employer PERM filings year-round | Per-country and category limits | Long processing timelines; most productive as long-term planning tool |
| J-1 (Exchange Visitor) | Yes — year-round for most categories | None | Academic, research, and training categories most relevant for professional applicants |
For the majority of internationally trained professionals targeting US employment in 2026, the most immediately actionable pathways are H-1B cap-exempt employment, L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability, and TN/E-3/H-1B1 for eligible nationalities — all of which accept new employer-sponsored applications year-round without lottery constraints.
Candidates targeting cap-subject H-1B employment should be building employer relationships now to be ready for the March 2027 registration window — but can also explore OPT or STEM OPT continuation in the interim if currently in valid F-1 status.
US Employers Currently Accepting Sponsored Applications Across All Major Sectors
The following employers are currently accepting applications for visa-sponsored roles based on active Labor Condition Application filings in the DOL FLAG system, verified current job postings, and confirmed ongoing international recruitment activity. They are organised by sector to allow targeted searching based on your occupation and background.
Technology — Product Companies
- Amazon (Seattle, New York, Austin, Arlington VA): Amazon is accepting applications across its technology divisions right now — including Amazon Web Services, Amazon Advertising, Alexa AI, and its core retail engineering group. Active LCA filings this quarter cover software development engineers, data scientists, applied scientists, cloud solutions architects, and operations research scientists. Amazon’s immigration legal infrastructure processes thousands of petitions annually and is among the most reliable sponsoring employers in the US technology market. Applications are accepted through amazon.jobs with international candidates encouraged to apply directly
- Google (Mountain View, New York, Seattle, Austin, Chicago): Google is accepting applications for software engineers at Levels L4 through L7, machine learning engineers, AI research scientists, and product managers across its core Search, Ads, Cloud, YouTube, and DeepMind divisions. Google files among the highest volumes of H-1B LCAs of any single employer in the US and its immigration team handles international sponsorship with exceptional efficiency. The company actively recruits internationally trained engineers from graduate programmes worldwide
- Microsoft (Redmond, New York, Atlanta, Raleigh): Active LCA filings cover Azure cloud engineers, software engineers across its product divisions, cybersecurity specialists for Microsoft Security, and AI researchers for Microsoft Research. Microsoft’s multiple US campus locations — including its growing Atlanta and Raleigh tech hubs — provide geographic diversity for internationally sponsored hires beyond the competitive Seattle corridor
- Meta (Menlo Park, New York, Austin, Seattle): Meta is accepting applications for software engineers across Reality Labs, WhatsApp, Instagram, and core infrastructure teams, as well as data scientists and ML engineers for its AI research and advertising technology divisions. Meta’s total compensation philosophy — heavy equity weighting — makes its sponsored offers among the most financially competitive available to internationally sponsored technology professionals
- Apple (Cupertino, Austin, New York): Accepting applications for hardware engineers, software developers, machine learning engineers, computer vision researchers, and supply chain technology professionals. Applications are submitted through apple.com/careers with sponsorship consideration available for qualifying specialty occupation roles
- Nvidia (Santa Clara, Austin, Seattle, Durham NC): One of the fastest-growing H-1B sponsors in the US by volume — driven by AI infrastructure demand — Nvidia is accepting applications for GPU architects, CUDA software engineers, deep learning framework engineers, AI research scientists, and autonomous systems engineers. Nvidia’s compensation levels have risen significantly, placing many sponsored roles at DOL Wage Level III and above
- Salesforce (San Francisco, Indianapolis, New York, Atlanta): Accepting applications for software engineers, AI platform engineers, data engineers, and solutions architects across its CRM, Slack, Tableau, and MuleSoft divisions. Active LCA filings are verified in the current quarter across all major product lines
- Oracle (Austin, Seattle, Nashville, Reston VA): One of the most consistently high-volume H-1B filers among enterprise software companies, Oracle is currently accepting applications for Java developers, cloud infrastructure engineers, database engineers, and autonomous database specialists. Following its corporate relocation from California to Texas, Oracle’s Austin campus is now its primary US hiring hub
Technology — IT Services and Consulting
- Infosys (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications year-round for software developers, data analysts, SAP consultants, cloud engineers, and digital transformation specialists deployed at enterprise client sites across the United States. Infosys consistently ranks among the top five H-1B petition filers of any employer in the US and has one of the most established international hiring pipelines in the industry
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications for Java developers, .NET engineers, data platform specialists, and SAP consultants across its national US delivery centres and client-embedded project teams. TCS files among the highest raw volumes of H-1B petitions of any single employer globally
- Cognizant Technology Solutions (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications for software engineers, data scientists, cloud migration specialists, and AI services professionals for its large US client base across financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors
- Wipro (Multiple US Locations): Active LCA filings cover software developers, infrastructure specialists, and digital transformation consultants for its US enterprise client portfolio
- Accenture (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications for cloud technology consultants, cybersecurity analysts, AI and data specialists, and enterprise transformation professionals across its US consulting, technology, and operations divisions
- IBM (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications for AI engineers, cloud architects, consulting professionals, and systems developers across its US client and research footprint
- Capgemini US (Multiple US Locations): Accepting applications for software engineers, data platform specialists, and technology consultants for its growing US consulting and outsourcing operations
Healthcare and Life Sciences
- HCA Healthcare (Nashville TN, and nationwide): One of the largest private hospital operators in the US, HCA is accepting applications from internationally trained registered nurses, surgical technologists, and allied health professionals through employer-sponsored H-1B and EB-3 pathways. HCA’s national footprint of over 180 hospitals across 20 states provides geographic diversity for internationally sponsored healthcare placements
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester MN, Jacksonville FL, Phoenix AZ): Accepting applications for physicians, clinical researchers, and highly specialised healthcare professionals under J-1 and H-1B pathways. Mayo Clinic is a cap-exempt employer for H-1B purposes, allowing year-round petition filing without lottery constraints
- Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland OH, London UK, Abu Dhabi): Globally recognised academic medical centre accepting international applications for physicians, nurses, and biomedical researchers, with established immigration support infrastructure for sponsored clinical and research hires
- Kaiser Permanente (California, Pacific Northwest, Mid-Atlantic): Accepting applications for registered nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and physicians across its integrated health system operating in eight US states
- Pfizer (New York, Groton CT, La Jolla CA): Accepting applications for research scientists, clinical development professionals, biostatisticians, and regulatory affairs specialists at salaries from $95,000 to $145,000 across its US research campuses
- Genentech / Roche (South San Francisco): One of the most active biotech H-1B sponsors in California, accepting applications for research scientists, bioinformatics specialists, and clinical development professionals at salaries from $110,000
- Moderna (Cambridge MA): Accepting applications for mRNA research scientists, bioinformatics engineers, manufacturing engineers, and clinical operations specialists with competitive salary levels
- Cross Country Healthcare and AMN Healthcare: Both healthcare staffing firms accept applications from internationally trained nurses and allied health professionals and manage the H-1B or EB-3 sponsorship process on behalf of placing hospitals and health systems — representing an efficient entry point for internationally trained nurses who want to work in the US
Finance and Investment
- JPMorgan Chase (New York, Columbus, Chicago, Plano TX): Accepting applications for quantitative analysts, technology professionals, investment banking associates, and risk management specialists. JPMorgan’s expanding technology division — which it has publicly described as one of the largest technology employers in the United States — is a particularly active H-1B filer for software engineers and data scientists
- Goldman Sachs (New York, Salt Lake City): Accepting applications for quantitative researchers, technology professionals, and investment banking analysts. Goldman’s engineering division has significantly expanded its international hiring since 2022 and is actively filing LCAs this quarter
- Citadel and Citadel Securities (Chicago, New York, Miami): Among the highest-paying H-1B sponsors in the US, Citadel and its market-making affiliate accept applications for quantitative researchers and software engineers at compensation levels that frequently exceed $250,000 in total compensation — with the most competitive applicants coming from world-leading mathematics, physics, and computer science programmes
- BlackRock (New York): World’s largest asset manager, accepting applications for quantitative analysts, Aladdin technology specialists, and data scientists at salaries from $120,000
- Deloitte US, PwC US, EY US, KPMG US: All four Big Four firms are currently accepting applications for audit associates, tax specialists, advisory professionals, and technology consultants. All four consistently file among the highest H-1B petition volumes of any professional services employer category in the US and have well-established immigration legal support infrastructure
Engineering and Energy
- Tesla (Austin TX, Fremont CA, Sparks NV): Accepting applications for mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and software engineers across its vehicle production, energy storage, and autonomous driving programmes. Tesla’s rapid expansion of its Austin Gigafactory has made it a significantly more geographically accessible sponsoring employer for internationally trained engineers outside California
- ExxonMobil (Houston, Spring TX): Accepting applications for petroleum engineers, geoscientists, chemical engineers, and process engineers for its US upstream and downstream operations at salaries from $100,000
- Bechtel Corporation (Houston, Reston VA, San Francisco): One of the largest private engineering and construction firms in the US, accepting applications for civil, process, and project engineers for large-scale infrastructure and energy projects domestically and internationally
- Boeing (Seattle, Huntsville AL, St. Louis): Accepting applications for aerospace, mechanical, and systems engineers at salaries from $95,000 across its commercial aviation, defence, and space divisions
- Schlumberger (SLB) (Houston): Leading oilfield services and energy technology company with active international recruitment for petroleum engineers, geoscientists, and data scientists for its US and global operations
How to Find US Visa Sponsorship Jobs Accepting Applications Right Now
Beyond the specific employers listed above, the following verified methods allow you to continuously identify US employers that are actively accepting applications for sponsored roles in real time — based on government data rather than claims or assumptions.
Department of Labor FLAG System (flag.dol.gov)
The DOL Foreign Labor Application Gateway provides near-real-time searchable access to all Labor Condition Applications filed by US employers. Every H-1B petition must be backed by an approved LCA — and LCA filings are visible in the system within days of submission. To use this for active job identification:
- Go to flag.dol.gov and navigate to the LCA search function
- Search by employer name to confirm current filing activity for a specific company
- Search by SOC code and state to identify all employers currently filing LCAs for your target occupation in your target location
- Filter results by the current quarter’s filing dates to confirm the activity is current, not historical
This approach converts general knowledge about sponsoring employers into specific, time-stamped confirmation that a particular employer is in the active H-1B sponsorship market right now — not just historically.
USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub (uscis.gov)
The USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub provides annual data on approved petitions, denial rates, and median approved wages by employer. While this data lags by approximately one fiscal year, it establishes the foundational sponsorship profile of any employer — how many petitions they file, what their approval rate is, and what salary levels their petitions reflect. High-volume employers with strong approval records are the most productive application targets.
Third-Party LCA Aggregation Platforms
- H1BGrader.com: Aggregates DOL and USCIS data to rank employers by petition volume, approval rate, and average salary — searchable by company, occupation, state, and wage level. Current-quarter filtering confirms whether an employer’s sponsorship activity is recent rather than historical
- MyVisaJobs.com: Provides historical and current LCA filing trends by employer and occupation with year-over-year comparison, allowing you to identify whether a company’s sponsorship activity is growing or declining
- H1BData.info: Real-time LCA data aggregation allowing search by employer name, SOC code, state, and filing date — particularly useful for identifying emerging sponsoring employers whose volume is not yet reflected in annual aggregate datasets
Job Search Platforms With Sponsorship Filters
- LinkedIn Jobs: Apply the “visa sponsorship” filter simultaneously with job function keywords, location, and a minimum salary filter. Many major US employers now explicitly tag sponsored postings — particularly in technology and healthcare — to attract international candidates who would otherwise self-screen out of applications
- Indeed US (indeed.com): Search with phrases including “H-1B sponsorship available,” “visa sponsorship provided,” “will sponsor work visa,” or “open to sponsorship” alongside your target occupation keywords and location. Combining with a salary filter of $80,000 minimum surfaces the most productive sponsored results in most professional sectors
- Dice.com: Technology-specialist job board with strong coverage of H-1B eligible software, data, and cybersecurity roles — many postings explicitly indicate visa sponsorship availability and salary ranges
- Built In (builtin.com): Technology and startup-focused job platform where employers commonly disclose sponsorship availability, equity compensation details, and salary ranges — particularly useful for identifying mid-tier and high-growth technology employers sponsoring year-round
- Handshake: University-focused career platform particularly effective for F-1 OPT and STEM OPT candidates connecting with campus recruiters at companies with established H-1B sponsorship pipelines for new graduates
High-Demand Roles With the Most Active Sponsorship Applications Open Now
| Role | SOC Code | Typical Sponsored Salary (USD) | Most Active Hiring Locations | Primary Visa Categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer / Engineer | 15-1252 | $110,000 – $185,000 | Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Austin | H-1B, L-1B, OPT/STEM OPT to H-1B |
| Machine Learning / AI Engineer | 15-2051 | $130,000 – $220,000 | San Francisco, Seattle, New York | H-1B, O-1A |
| Data Scientist | 15-2051 | $115,000 – $175,000 | San Francisco, New York, Chicago | H-1B, O-1A |
| Cloud / Infrastructure Engineer | 15-1244 | $120,000 – $180,000 | Seattle, Austin, San Francisco | H-1B, L-1B, TN |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 15-1212 | $115,000 – $170,000 | Washington DC, New York, Austin | H-1B, L-1B |
| Registered Nurse | 29-1141 | $75,000 – $110,000 | Nationwide | H-1B, EB-3, J-1 |
| Pharmacist | 29-1051 | $120,000 – $145,000 | Nationwide | H-1B, TN |
| Civil / Structural Engineer | 17-2051 | $82,000 – $130,000 | New York, Houston, Los Angeles | H-1B, L-1B, TN, E-3 |
| Financial / Quantitative Analyst | 13-2051 | $110,000 – $200,000+ | New York, Chicago | H-1B, L-1B, O-1A |
| Research Scientist (Biotech / Pharma) | 19-1042 | $90,000 – $145,000 | Boston, San Francisco, New Jersey | H-1B, O-1A, J-1 |
Cap-Exempt Employers: Where Applications Are Accepted Year-Round Without Lottery Risk
For applicants who have not yet been selected in an H-1B lottery or who are not eligible for the TN, E-3, or H-1B1 pathways, cap-exempt employers represent the most immediately actionable US work visa opportunity — with no lottery, no October 1 waiting period, and year-round petition filing and approval.
Categories of Cap-Exempt Employers
- Accredited universities and colleges: All accredited US higher education institutions are cap-exempt. This includes community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and research universities — any of which may have sponsored positions in technology, research, administration, and academic support functions as well as traditional faculty roles
- Nonprofit research organisations affiliated with universities: Research institutes, think tanks, and nonprofit organisations that conduct fundamental or applied research affiliated with accredited universities qualify for cap exemption
- Government research organisations: Federal laboratories and government-affiliated research entities — including Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Institution — are cap-exempt and file H-1B petitions year-round for researchers, scientists, and engineers
Major Cap-Exempt Employers Currently Accepting Applications
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge MA): MIT’s research divisions, Lincoln Laboratory, and media laboratory actively sponsor researchers, engineers, and research scientists through cap-exempt H-1B petitions across AI, robotics, materials science, and computational biology
- Stanford University (Stanford CA): Stanford’s engineering and science schools, Stanford Research Park, and affiliated institutes sponsor postdoctoral researchers, research scientists, and research engineers through cap-exempt H-1B petitions year-round
- Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (Baltimore MD): Both entities are cap-exempt and actively sponsor researchers, engineers, and scientists — particularly in biomedical engineering, public health, and defence research
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Bethesda MD): The NIH’s intramural research programme and affiliated institutes sponsor research scientists and postdoctoral fellows through cap-exempt J-1 and H-1B pathways across all biomedical research disciplines
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York): Major cancer research and treatment institution — cap-exempt as a nonprofit research organisation — actively sponsoring oncology researchers, data scientists, and clinical trial specialists
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Seattle WA): Nonprofit cancer research centre affiliated with the University of Washington, cap-exempt and actively sponsoring biomedical researchers and computational scientists
Application Strategy for US Visa Sponsorship Jobs Right Now
1. Verify LCA Activity Before Applying
Searching the DOL FLAG system for your target employer and SOC code before submitting an application confirms that the company is actively in the sponsorship market right now. An employer with active LCA filings in the current quarter is demonstrably engaged in H-1B sponsorship — not merely open to the possibility of it. This verification takes five minutes and dramatically improves the quality of your target employer list.
2. Apply to Both Cap-Subject and Cap-Exempt Employers Simultaneously
Running parallel application tracks — targeting cap-exempt employers where employment can begin immediately if sponsored, while simultaneously building relationships with cap-subject employers ahead of the next lottery cycle — maximises both your immediate employment prospects and your longer-term sponsorship probability. Many internationally trained professionals who successfully obtained US employment began at a cap-exempt university or nonprofit and transitioned to a cap-subject private sector employer in a subsequent lottery cycle.
3. Prioritise Employers With High Approval Rates
H-1B petition denial rates vary significantly across employers — ranging from near-zero for highly experienced sponsors with strong legal teams to materially high denial rates for employers with less petition preparation experience. The USCIS Employer Data Hub and H1BGrader.com both publish employer-specific approval and denial data. Prioritising employers with consistent approval rates above 90% significantly reduces the risk of a denial despite a well-qualified applicant profile.
4. Confirm the Role Qualifies as a Specialty Occupation
Every H-1B petition requires the employer to demonstrate that the role qualifies as a specialty occupation — typically defined as requiring at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific, relevant field. Roles with ambiguous educational requirements, very broad duty descriptions, or salary levels below DOL Wage Level II attract elevated USCIS scrutiny. Targeting roles with clearly defined degree requirements and salary levels at DOL Wage Level II or above produces the strongest petition profiles and the highest approval probabilities.
5. Address Visa Status Early and Specifically
When applying to roles with verified sponsorship availability, disclosing your visa requirements early — and specifically — removes uncertainty for employers who are experienced with international hiring. State clearly whether you are on F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, another valid nonimmigrant status, or applying from outside the US, and indicate which visa category you would be applying under. This specificity signals immigration literacy and reduces the employer’s perceived complexity of sponsoring you.
Conclusion
US visa sponsorship jobs accepting applications right now span technology product companies, IT services firms, healthcare systems, finance and investment employers, engineering and energy corporations, and cap-exempt universities and research institutions. The volume and diversity of sponsoring employers in 2026 is broad enough to accommodate internationally trained professionals across dozens of occupations — from software engineers earning $150,000 at hyperscale technology companies, to registered nurses sponsored through EB-3 green card pipelines at national hospital systems, to postdoctoral researchers building careers at cap-exempt national laboratories.
By verifying current LCA activity through government data tools, applying simultaneously to cap-exempt and cap-subject employers, targeting high-approval-rate sponsors, and positioning your application with specific immigration literacy, you can identify and pursue the US visa sponsorship opportunities that are genuinely open right now — and convert that targeted approach into an approved work authorisation and a successful US career.