Most people think the H1B visa is a form. It’s not.

The H1B visa is a story about permission. It’s about what happens when you decide the life you want to live exists in a country that doesn’t know you yet. And then—this is the remarkable part—the system forces you to tell that story over and over again until someone finally believes it.

Let’s talk about what this is, and what it means.

The Permission Slip

An H1B visa is a work visa for specialty occupations. That means your job, the thing you’ve trained for, the thing you’re exceptional at, requires more education than a high school diploma. You’re a software engineer, an architect, a business analyst. You’re someone with rare skills, and America wants you to work here.

Here’s who qualifies: You need a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s the floor. You need your employer to swear on a stack of government forms that they can’t find an American to do this job at the prevailing wage. And you need to understand something fundamental: you’re not applying for this. Your employer is applying for you. That’s important. That’s the whole deal right there.

Most people miss this. They think they control the narrative. They don’t. Not yet.

The Lottery: A Lesson in Acceptance

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Every year, over 600,000 people register for about 85,000 available H1B visas. That’s a 13-15% chance if you’re in the general pool. If you have a master’s degree from a U.S. school, you get maybe 16-17% odds.

The system doesn’t pick the best. It doesn’t pick the most deserving. It doesn’t even pick the ones who need it most.

It picks randomly.

This is actually profound. Because it teaches you early: sometimes, the system isn’t fair. Sometimes, you can do everything right and still lose. And what matters isn’t the odds. What matters is whether you’re willing to play.

The timeline unfolds like this: Registration in March and April. Lottery drawing in May. If selected, your employer files the full petition in May and June. USCIS processes it over the summer. By September, you get your approval notice.

If you’re in the U.S. already (on OPT or an F-1 visa), you have a choice: you can get H1B visa stamping in USA at a local consulate, or you can leave the country and get stamped abroad. Most people choose H1B visa stamping in USA because it’s faster, less disruptive, and it means you keep your life momentum. You go to an interview, you answer questions about your job, and then you’re approved. Simple. Except it’s never simple.

The Cost of Wanting Something

Filing fees. Processing fees. Premium processing fees. Attorney fees. Biometric fees. Fraud prevention fees.

The total cost? Anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 or more, depending on your situation.

Here’s the part people don’t talk about: your employer should pay all of this. Legally, they’re supposed to. But some don’t. Some try to negotiate. Some make you pay it back over time.

This is a test. If an employer won’t pay their own filing fees, if they’re trying to extract that cost from you before you’ve even started, that’s them telling you something about what they think you’re worth.

Listen to them.

Six Years, Plus the Possibility of More

You get three years initially. Then you can extend for three more. That’s six years total. That’s not a long time to build a life, but it’s long enough to matter.

Here’s the trick: if your employer starts the green card process and gets your I-140 approved, you can stay beyond six years. You can stay indefinitely while waiting for your priority date to become current. Some people spend 10, 12, or even 15 years in H1B status waiting for that green card.

This is the part nobody writes about in the brochures. This is the part where you start to understand what you’re actually signing up for.

The Flexibility You Don’t Have (Yet)

You can’t just change jobs. But your new employer can hire you. That’s the difference.

It’s called an H1B transfer, and it works like this: Your new employer files a petition. While they’re processing it, you might be able to work under “portability.” Might. You need to be careful here. You need someone who understands the rules to guide you.

And your family? They can come with you on H4 visas. Your spouse, your kids under 21. They can be here. But they can’t work, not unless your green card petition is approved and they get special authorization. Sometimes the rules change. Sometimes politicians decide to grant work permits. But you can’t count on it. You have to plan for them not to work.

The Path That Takes a Decade

The green card process is where the story becomes either a triumph or a test of patience.

Your employer files for PERM labor certification first. This is where the Department of Labor checks: are there Americans who could do this job? Your employer has to advertise, recruit, document. This takes a year or more.

Then comes the I-140. Approved, hopefully.

Then comes the priority date, the thing that actually controls your fate.

If you’re born in India, you’re in a line with millions of others. Your priority date might be 10+ years in the future. You might spend a decade in H1B status, wondering if you’ll ever get your green card. If you’re from most other countries, you might wait 2-4 years total.

This isn’t a bug in the system. This is the system working exactly as designed. The law allows only 7% of green cards per country. It’s a policy choice. It’s a story we tell ourselves about borders and belonging.

What This Actually Is

The H1B visa isn’t really about work. It’s about leverage.

It’s about whether you’re willing to:

• Accept that luck plays a role
• Let your employer control your status
• Spend years in bureaucratic limbo
• Trust that the system will eventually work
• Keep showing up even when the odds are against you

It’s about whether you want this badly enough that you’ll accept all of that.

Here’s what I’ve learned: The people who make it through aren’t the smartest. They’re not always the most talented. They’re the ones who understood what they were agreeing to and decided it was worth it anyway.

They’re the ones who got H1B visa stamping in USA and looked the consular officer in the eye and said, “Yes, I know what I’m doing here. Yes, I’m sure.”

That’s the real test.

The Remarkable Part

The remarkable part isn’t the visa. The remarkable part is what you do once you have it.

You’ve just entered a system that asks you to prove yourself over and over. Your employer holds your status. Your country quota limits your future. Your priority date determines your timeline, not your excellence or your effort.

And yet, millions of people do this. Millions of people bet on themselves within a system that wasn’t designed for them to win quickly.

That’s not normal. That takes something special.

If you’re considering this path, here’s what you need to know: it’s not a shortcut. It’s not easy. And it requires you to surrender some control while simultaneously fighting for your place.

But if you’re willing to do that—if you understand what you’re agreeing to—then you’re not just getting a visa.

You’re joining a community of people who decided their dreams were worth more than their comfort.

That’s what the H1B visa actually is.

Disclaimer

The statistics and financial information in this article are based on FY 2024-2025 USCIS data. Fees, processing times, approval rates, and visa quotas are subject to change. Costs vary by location and individual circumstances. This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney before making any H1B-related decisions. For current information, visit www.uscis.gov.