OPT/STEM OPT Immigration Resources

The H-1B non-immigrant classification is for the employment of foreign workers in “specialty occupation” in the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) statue defines “specialty occupation” for H-1B purposes as “an occupation that requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge, and attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.”

The H-1B Specialty Occupation worker may be admitted for a period of up to three years. The status can be extended but generally cannot go beyond a total of six years, though some exceptions do apply.