H-1B Visa in 2025: What Every International Student Should Know

For most international students in the US, the dream doesn’t stop at graduation. The real goal is often to gain work experience, build a career, and eventually secure long-term opportunities in the country. That’s where the H-1B visa comes in.

It’s the bridge between your student life and your professional journey in the US, but also one of the most competitive visas out there.

Why the H-1B Matters for Students

After completing your degree, you typically move into OPT (Optional Practical Training), which gives you 1–3 years of work authorization. Once OPT runs out, the H-1B is the most common way to stay on.

But here’s the catch: demand for this visa has always been higher than supply. Out of thousands of applicants each year, only 85,000 spots are available. That means planning ahead is non-negotiable.

How the Process Actually Works

Step 1: Employer sponsorship: You need a US employer ready to file the petition.

Step 2: The lottery: Applications go into a random selection process if numbers exceed the annual cap (and they almost always do).

Step 3: Petition & approval: If you’re selected, your employer files the paperwork with USCIS. If approved, you can start work from October 1st of that year.

Sounds straightforward? On paper, yes. In reality, competition, fees, and changing policies make it a lot more complicated.

What Makes It Tricky in 2025

• The lottery is tighter than ever. Employers are being more selective about whom they sponsor.
  Fee hikes have made filing much more expensive for companies.
• Students from STEM backgrounds still have an edge thanks to the STEM OPT extension, but non-STEM graduates may find the window much shorter.

📌 The New H-1B Fee Hike (Effective September 2025)

USCIS recently announced a significant change:

• A $100,000 fee now applies to initial H-1B petitions filed by large employers (companies with more than 50 employees, where over 50% are already on H-1B or L-1 status).
• The hike is meant to discourage “over-reliance” on foreign workers by certain companies.

This fee change could make some companies hesitant to sponsor fresh graduates, meaning students need to target employers with a history of H-1B sponsorship and the financial strength to absorb these costs.

What If You Don’t Get It?

Not landing an H-1B doesn’t mean the end of your US journey. Students often:

• Stay on STEM OPT (if eligible) for an extra 24 months.

• Look at other visas like the L-1 (intra-company transfer) or O-1 (for individuals with extraordinary ability).

• Return to higher education. Many go for a Master’s or PhD, which increases their H-1B chances through the advanced degree quota.

The Bigger Picture

The H-1B isn’t just about paperwork, it shapes career choices, employer targeting, and even the courses students pick before coming to the US. If working in the States is your long-term plan, it’s worth thinking about this pathway before you apply to universities.

At WIKATI Education, we help students map out not just their study abroad plans, but also what happens after graduation. Because choosing the right program today can make all the difference in tomorrow’s visa options.