The H visa category covers several U.S. nonimmigrant work visas, primarily the H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 classifications. Each serves different employment purposes and requires a specific job offer from a U.S. company.
DRSI Law explains that the H visa category encompasses several U.S. nonimmigrant work visas, primarily the H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 classifications, each serving different employment purposes. The H-1B visa, the most common, is for foreign professionals in specialty occupations and is capped at 85,000 annually, with a lottery typically held in March for employment starting October 1. H-2A and H-2B visas address seasonal agricultural and non-agricultural labor shortages, respectively, while the H-3 visa is for individuals receiving training not available in their home country.
The H-1B visa is the most common, intended for foreign professionals in specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. It is capped at 85,000 visas annually, with lottery registration in March and employment starting October 1 of each calender year. If you are planning to start work in June, think again. If you are a student in a US institution, you may be able to use your OPT. Employment commences in October and no earlier. USCIS has implemented stricter selection processes to reduce fraud and prioritize genuine job offers. The system is run as a lottery and on average there are over 350,000 applications a year that are submitted.
H-2A visas allow seasonal agricultural workers, while H-2B visas apply to non-agricultural seasonal or peak-load jobs. Both are time-limited and tied to labor shortages, with caps (H-2B: 66,000 annually, plus occasional supplements). H-3 visasis for individuals receiving training in the U.S. that is not available in their home country. It cannot be used for productive employment except when incidental to training.