You'll get a clear answer: Apply, Don't apply, or Apply only if the job post allows it.
Before every application
Read the job post. If it has any of these words, don't apply for a visa candidate, even at a company marked Apply:
US citizen only
Green card only
No sponsorship
Security clearance
ITAR
US person
Five rules
Never tick "No sponsorship needed" for OPT, STEM OPT, CPT or H-1B candidates.
STEM OPT candidates: only direct jobs at the company itself. No staffing agencies or client-site contracts.
H-1B candidates: skip Microsoft (incl. LinkedIn, GitHub), Adobe, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, Capgemini and Cloudera for now.
Skip defense, aerospace and government jobs for all visa candidates.
Universities and university hospitals are great for H-1B. They hire all year, with no lottery.
See the full company list
Rank
Company
Industry
Answer
H-1B approvals
Why
What changed recently
$100,000 H-1B fee: stopped by two courts. It is not being charged. Keep applying to companies that sponsor.
8 Oct 2026: the US Labor Department froze green-card filings for Microsoft, Adobe, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant and Capgemini.
H-1B lottery: higher-paying jobs now get more chances. Aim for mid-level roles, not the lowest-paid entry roles.
CPT: many schools paused CPT approvals in August. Confirm with the candidate's school first.
H-4 EAD: still valid. Check the card's expiry date; there is no automatic extension now.
Company numbers: from the official USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, fiscal year 2026 to date (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026). Rank = position among all H-1B employers by approvals.
OPT fee proposal: only a proposal, not a rule. Nothing changes today.