📖 Reading time: 11 minutes  |  🗓️ Last reviewed: 2026  |  ✍️ ExpatWiki Editorial Team ⚡ Key Takeaways The H-1B visa requires a US employer sponsor — you cannot self-petition Annual H-1B cap is 85,000 visas — 65,000 regular + 20,000 US Master's cap The lottery is conducted in March each year for October 1 start dates Minimum salary is the higher of prevailing wage or actual wage for your role and location H-1B to Green Card is possible — but the backlog for Indian nationals is decades long T he H-1B visa  guide for skilled expats starts with one honest truth — it is simultaneously one of the most sought-after work visas in the world and one of the most misunderstood. I have watched brilliant engineers, brilliant data scientists and brilliant finance professionals navigate the H-1B process with incomplete information — missing lottery registrations, accepting offers below prevailing wage, failing to ask their employers the right questions a...