The United States remains one of the main destinations for labour migration, but in 2026, employment conditions for foreigners have changed significantly — visa fees have increased, screening has become more rigorous, and the H-1B lottery has new selection rules. At the same time, demand for skilled professionals in the technology, medical and financial sectors continues to grow. Learn more about the current requirements for work visas, salaries, sponsoring companies, and a step-by-step strategy for finding a job in the United States

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The United States remains one of the most attractive labour markets for foreign specialists. At the same time, immigration rules have become significantly stricter in 2026, and the cost of obtaining work visas has increased significantly.

Which industries need foreign workers, how much does the visa process cost, how to avoid fraud, and what salary to expect — we will tell you more in this article.

Are you planning to work in the United States and want to be sure that your documents are complete and meet all requirements?

The Visit World work guide contains step-by-step instructions for obtaining a visa and work permit, a complete list of documents, current fees, and practical advice — all in a convenient PDF format that will be sent to your email in a few minutes.

The US labour market in 2026: what specialists are needed?

The American labour market in 2025–2026 has significantly changed its priorities. Employers are increasingly looking for candidates with narrow specialisations rather than universal experience. The main driver of employment remains the healthcare sector — hospitals and medical centres across the country need doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists and medical researchers. There is a particularly acute shortage of medical personnel in rural areas, where there is simply not enough local specialists.

The second powerful sector is technology. Software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data science are areas where the number of vacancies consistently exceeds the number of available American candidates. Salaries in these fields start at $95,000 per year and can exceed $160,000. The financial sector, engineering, education, and renewable energy complete the list of industries that actively recruit international workers. In addition, construction, agriculture, and hospitality traditionally rely on foreign labour, offering seasonal and temporary positions.

Who is eligible to work legally in the United States?

Working in the US without the appropriate federal government authorisation is prohibited. Violation of this rule is punishable by deportation and a ban on re-entry into the country. US citizens and green card holders (permanent residents) have unlimited employment rights. All other foreign nationals must obtain a work visa, which in most cases requires a sponsoring employer in the United States.

There are exceptions: some categories of visas allow you to apply independently — for example, for persons with extraordinary abilities or significant investments. Holders of an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) — in particular, students undergoing practical training — may also obtain the right to work.

An important detail: every employer in the United States is required to verify your right to work using Form I-9, so legal registration is a prerequisite before you can start working.

What is the Visa Bond programme in the United States 2026 — we explain it here.

Types of work visas in the United States: temporary and permanent options

The work visa system in the United States is divided into two broad categories — temporary (non-immigrant) and permanent (immigrant). The choice depends on your career plans, qualifications, and the length of time you plan to stay.

● Temporary work visas. The most well-known is the H-1B visa, designed for professionals with a bachelor's degree or higher in specialised fields (IT, engineering, finance, etc.). The annual limit is 65,000 places plus 20,000 for holders of a US master's degree. Due to high demand, selection is conducted through a lottery. The L-1 visa is suitable for transferring employees from a foreign office to a US branch of the company (L-1A for managers — up to 7 years, L-1B for specialists with specialised knowledge — up to 5 years). The O-1 visa is intended for people with outstanding achievements in science, business, art or sports. For seasonal work, there are H-2A (agriculture) and H-2B visas (other temporary work — landscaping, hospitality, construction).

● Permanent employment. Five categories (EB-1 to EB-5) cover different levels of qualification: from individuals with extraordinary abilities (EB-1) to investors who create jobs (EB-5). For most EB-2 and EB-3 applications, the employer must undergo PERM labour certification, proving that there are no qualified American candidates for the position. The process is lengthy — it can take several years — but a green card gives you permanent right to live and work without having to renew your visa.

● Work visas for students and exchange participants: F-1 and J-1. The F-1 student visa allows you to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during holidays. There are two programmes for gaining experience outside the university: CPT (Curricular Practical Training) — an internship as part of the curriculum before graduation, and OPT (Optional Practical Training) — up to 12 months of work authorisation in your field after graduation. STEM graduates have an additional advantage: they can extend OPT for another 24 months, for a total of up to 36 months of legal work. Both programmes are a valuable springboard to long-term employment and possible work visa sponsorship.

The J-1 visa covers exchange programme participants — teachers, researchers, interns. It is important to note a significant restriction: some J-1 participants must live in their home country for two years after completing the programme before applying for other US visas.

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How much does it cost to apply for an H-1B work visa in 2026?

The visa process in 2026 has become significantly more expensive. Here are the main costs to include in your budget:

– H-1B registration fee — $215.

– I-129 petition filing fee — $460 to $780.

– Fraud prevention fee — $500.

– Premium processing (optional, guarantees a response within 15 business days) — $2,805 ($2,965 from 1 March 2026).

– Visa application fee (MRV/DS-160) — $205 for employment-based visas.

– New visa integrity fee — $250.

The most significant change is the presidential decree of 19 September 2025, which introduced a fee of $100,000 for certain new H-1B petitions. This applies to cases where the employee is outside the United States and does not yet have a valid H-1B visa. Standard processing of an H-1B petition takes three to six months, and green card processing can take several years.

About the new 2026 US citizenship test — read more at the link.

Which companies in the US sponsor work visas?

The leaders in terms of the number of H-1B visas sponsored are traditionally tech giants: Amazon (over 10,000 approvals), TCS (about 5,500), Microsoft (5,200), Meta (5,100), Google and Apple (4,200 each). Large financial and consulting companies — JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers — also actively sponsor employees for positions in financial analysis, risk management, and consulting.

At the same time, limiting your search to large corporations is a mistake. According to USCIS, approximately 57,600 unique employers have registered to participate in the H-1B season for fiscal year 2026, and about 80% of them are small and medium-sized businesses that file between one and five petitions annually. These are local hospitals, engineering firms, accounting firms, and regional companies. Universities and research institutions deserve special mention: accredited educational institutions and non-profit research organisations are exempt from the annual H-1B cap and can hire international professionals at any time without participating in the lottery.

How to look for a job in the US: platforms and networking

An effective search strategy combines general and specialised resources. On LinkedIn and Indeed, it is worth using filters and keywords such as ‘visa sponsorship’. Specialised platforms offer even more advantages: MyVisaJobs shows which companies have historically sponsored the most visas and what salaries they offered, USponsor Me offers lists of jobs with confirmed sponsorship, and H1B Grader allows you to check a specific employer against the Department of Labour's records. The free USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub database allows you to find any employer by name, city, or industry code and view their petition history.

A significant portion of job openings for foreign workers are filled through professional connections rather than public advertisements. A strong LinkedIn profile with an emphasis on specialised skills, participation in industry conferences and virtual job fairs, and direct outreach to hiring managers with a personalised message all significantly increase your chances of finding employment. For students, the university's career centre and alumni network will be an additional resource.

Changes in US immigration policy in 2026

The immigration environment has changed significantly. In addition to the aforementioned $100,000 fee for certain H-1B petitions, a new USCIS rule, effective 27 February 2026, changes the H-1B lottery mechanism for the 2027 fiscal year. From now on, a weighted process will be used, giving preference to more qualified and highly paid candidates.

Entry restrictions have also been expanded. From 1 January 2026, visas will be completely suspended for citizens of 19 countries and partially restricted for another 20 countries in accordance with Presidential Executive Order 10998. In mid-January 2026, the State Department suspended the processing of immigration visas for citizens of 75 countries pending the completion of a review of screening procedures. Other changes include mandatory disclosure of social media accounts for the past five years and a proposed rule change to the ‘status validity period’ for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. All of these changes increase the cost and complexity of the visa process, so regularly checking official sources — the USCIS website, the State Department's visa bulletin, and Ministry of Labour announcements — is a must for anyone planning to work in America.

Cost of living and salaries for foreign workers in the United States

Salary levels are directly related to the region. For H-1B visa holders, the average salary for work condition applications in fiscal year 2025 was approximately $120,000–140,000 per year, and in California and New York, the figure often exceeded $160,000. The law requires employers to pay at least the ‘prevailing wage’ for the relevant profession and region.

However, high salaries are often offset by the cost of living. Rent for a one-bedroom flat in Manhattan starts at $3,500 per month, in San Francisco at $3,000, and in Seattle at $2,200. More affordable options include Austin (from $1,600), Houston (from $1,300) and Oklahoma City (from $900). In addition to rent, there are costs for health insurance (the government does not provide it automatically), food, transport and utilities. In a city with average costs, you should expect to spend $60,000–75,000 per year, and in the most expensive metropolitan areas, over $100,000.

What is Trump Gold Card in the United States — we discussed this in our previous article.

Foreign workers' rights and common mistakes when seeking employment

Foreign workers are protected by the same basic labour laws as American citizens. The FLSA guarantees minimum wage and overtime pay. OSHA ensures the right to safe working conditions. Federal anti-discrimination laws protect against unfair treatment based on race, nationality, religion, or gender. Your employer can't take your passport, restrict your movement, or threaten you with deportation.

At the same time, there are nuances that often come as a surprise. Most states operate on a ‘at-will’ employment basis: an employer can terminate an employee at any time without notice, just as an employee can quit. Federal law does not require employers to provide paid leave, paid parental leave, or health insurance (although large employers are required to offer health insurance). All social benefits are negotiated individually in the employment package.

For sponsored visa holders, dismissal means that you only have up to 60 days of grace period to find a new sponsor or change your visa status.

Among the most common mistakes when applying for a visa are incomplete or contradictory documents, missed deadlines for registering for the H-1B lottery (the window is only open for 2-3 weeks a year), insufficient preparation for the embassy interview, and providing false information. The latter is the most dangerous: providing knowingly false information can result in a permanent entry ban.

How to spot fraud when looking for a job in the US?

International job seekers are often targeted by fraudsters. The most common scam is fake job offers: an employer allegedly writes on social media or messengers, promises visa support, and then demands payment for ‘visa processing’ or ‘verification of personal data.’ A legitimate employer in the United States will never require a candidate to pay for their visa sponsorship.

Another type of scam involves fake messages from USCIS requesting money transfers. It is important to know that USCIS does not communicate via social media and does not ask for money transfers to private individuals, and official government letters always have a .gov domain. Diversity Visa Lottery scams are also common — participation is free, and results are available exclusively on the official DV Entrant Status Check website. Check any offer through official channels and the SeasonalJobs.dol.gov platform for seasonal jobs.

About the new ESTA rules for travel to the United States — find out more at the link.

How to obtain a work visa to the United States: assistance from Visit World

Preparing documents for a work visa is a process in which every detail matters. The absence of even one document can cause a delay or refusal of a visa. To avoid this, use the working guide from the Visit World portal. This PDF guide will be sent to your email address in a matter of minutes and contains step-by-step instructions for applying for a short-term and long-term work visa, a complete list of required documents, information about visa fees and application processing times, rules for filling out the visa application form, and practical life hacks for visiting the country. The guide is available to citizens of any country and for any destination country.

Order a work guide from Visit World and start preparing for employment abroad with a full understanding of the procedure and confidence in your documents!

Reminder! USCIS has introduced important changes that will affect all foreigners working in the United States with an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD).

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