Specialty occupations
H-1B Specialty Occupation
The H-1B is the classic route for degree-level professional roles in the United States. It is powerful but constrained — an annual cap and a lottery mean timing and alternatives matter as much as eligibility.
What it is
A visa for professional roles
The H-1B is for “specialty occupations” — roles that normally require at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a specific field. The employer files the petition and must meet wage and labor-condition requirements.
The cap and lottery
Most new H-1Bs are subject to an annual numerical cap, allocated by a registration and lottery process each spring. Selection is not guaranteed, so a sensible plan never relies on the H-1B alone — it pairs the registration with a realistic backup such as the L-1, O-1, or an E treaty visa.
Where it fits for European companies
The H-1B can be the right tool for a specialist professional hire who does not qualify under the intracompany or treaty routes. Cap-exempt options also exist for certain employers, and timing around the registration window is decisive.
What Privello handles
- Assessing whether the role is a specialty occupation
- Managing the registration and lottery timeline
- Building a realistic backup route in parallel
- Handling the labor-condition and wage requirements
- Aligning the hire with your data-protection steps
Have an existing entity abroad? The L-1 may be faster
Common questions
Questions European companies ask
What are our chances in the H-1B lottery?
Selection odds vary year to year with demand. Because they are never guaranteed, Privello plans a backup route — L-1, O-1, or an E treaty visa — alongside any H-1B registration.
Can a European company sponsor an H-1B?
Yes, provided there is a U.S. entity to act as the petitioning employer and the role and wage requirements are met.
When do we need to act?
The registration window is typically in early spring, well before the work would start. Planning months ahead is essential, especially if a backup route is involved.
Begin
Talk through your move with Privello
Tell us what you're planning. We'll outline the realistic options — and how the immigration and data-protection steps line up — in a first conversation.