International Student and Scholar Services
Working in the United States Beyond F-1 or J-1 Status

There are several immigration categories available to non-immigrants who possess the knowledge and professional skills gained by receiving a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. 

Many professionals with U.S. university degrees are offered sponsorship in the United States under the H-1B temporary worker visa category.  The employment must be in a "specialty occupation."  A "specialty occupation" is one which requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge to fully perform the occupation and which requires a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific field as the minimum requirement for entry into the occupation.  In addition, the applicant must hold the specific degree required for the “specialty occupation.”  Please see our handout: General Information on H-1B Status.

Helen Konrad & Mark Rhoads, Attorneys at Law with the firm of McCandlish Holton, have prepared a guide, Hiring Foreign Graduates, which outlines the H-1B process for prospective employers.

Non-immigrants should also be aware of the immigration categories which may be available to them.  Please see our handout: General Information on Work-Related Visas in the United States.

More information on these and other immigration categories is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.