There is no single, universal minimum salary for an H-1B visa; rather, employers must pay the higher of the actual wage paid to other employees with similar experience or the prevailing wage for that occupation in the area of intended employment. The Department of Labor (DOL) uses a four-tier system to determine this, ranging from entry-level (Level 1) to experienced (Level 4).
There's no single H-1B minimum salary; it's the higher of the "Prevailing Wage" (set by the DOL for the job/location) or the employer's "Actual Wage" for similar roles, with four experience levels (I-IV) impacting the rate, though some rules allow $60k for "exempt" roles at certain employers, but new lottery rules prioritize higher salaries. Recent changes aim to significantly raise these levels, potentially making entry-level H-1B positions require much higher pay (e.g., over $200k in some areas) and giving higher-paid applicants a better chance in the lottery.
The $100,000 H-1B visa fee applies to U.S. employers filing new petitions on or after September 21, 2025, for foreign workers outside the U.S. who need to obtain an H-1B visa through consular processing or at a port of entry, but it doesn't apply to most petitions for workers already in the U.S. for status changes, extensions, or employer changes, nor to previously approved H-1B visas, with rare national interest exceptions possible for specific critical workers.
For H-1B employers and workers, prevailing wage is the minimum required wage for a role in a specific location based on government wage data. It is usually tied to Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Be Paid Fairly
Your employer must pay you at least the federal legal minimum wage for most jobs. minimum wage. Your work contract or visa program requires it.
Thus employers tend to give preference to the foreign workers over similarly-qualified Americans when hiring, In addition, two congressional reports and a number of academic studies have shown that H-1Bs are often paid less than comparable Americans, i.e. those of the same age, education and so on.
Employers in states that haven't set their own higher minimum wage, or have one below $7.25, are generally required to pay at least the federal minimum of $7.25/hour, including places like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, though many local areas within those states might have higher rates. While the number of people earning exactly $7.25 has decreased, it still applies to some workers, particularly those in specific industries or locations with no higher local mandates, with the federal minimum unchanged since 2009.
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) regulates the wages paid to H-1B workers. Employers are required to pay the prevailing wage to H-1B workers. The DOL uses a four-tier location and occupation specific salary survey to determine the prevailing wage in the H-1B visa program.
The final rule confirms that, starting this year, H-1B registrations will require employers to note the highest wage level that the registration beneficiary's wage equals or exceeds for the area of intended employment along with the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code that aligns with the role offered.
The Department of Labor considers H-1B filing fees a business expense. As such, the sponsoring department is responsible for H-1B filing fees.
All told, it could cost employers $10,000 or more to hire an H-1B worker. In addition, companies may also have to pay a new, separate $100,000 fee implemented in September 2025. We've dived into each required form and its associated fee below.
Sponsoring a U.S. work visa (like an H-1B) costs a company several hundred to several thousands of dollars in mandatory government fees, including filing fees (around $460+), ACWIA fees ($750-$1,500), and Fraud Prevention fees ($500), plus potential extra fees for large employers ($4,000+) and optional premium processing ($2,805). Costs vary significantly by visa type (H-1B, L-1, O-1, Green Card) and company size, with attorney fees adding substantial expense, though employers must cover certain mandatory labor certification costs.
In FY 2025, Amazon had the most approved H-1B petitions for continuing employment, with 14,532, followed by TCS (5,293), Microsoft (4,863), Meta Platforms (4,740), Apple (4,610) and Google (4,509).
The H-1B "3-for-1 Rule" (or 3:1 Rule) is a USCIS regulation where three years of relevant, specialized work experience or training is considered equivalent to one year of college education, helping individuals qualify for a specialty occupation visa when they lack a full bachelor's degree. This rule allows applicants to meet the bachelor's degree requirement by demonstrating progressively responsible experience in the field, often requiring detailed documentation of theoretical and practical application of knowledge alongside peers with degrees.
The entire process generally takes about four months using premium processing (for an additional fee of $2805, $2,965 as of March 1, 2026). Premium processing only affects the adjudication of the USCIS petition and guarantees a response within 15 business days once the application has been received.
Yes, an H-1B visa serves as a common pathway to a green card (permanent residency) in the U.S., acting as a bridge for skilled foreign workers, though it's a separate, multi-step process requiring employer sponsorship and proving eligibility for an employment-based green card (typically EB-2 or EB-3) through forms like I-140 and I-485, involving significant waiting times due to visa backlogs.
There's no single H-1B minimum salary; it's the higher of the "Prevailing Wage" (set by the DOL for the job/location) or the employer's "Actual Wage" for similar roles, with four experience levels (I-IV) impacting the rate, though some rules allow $60k for "exempt" roles at certain employers, but new lottery rules prioritize higher salaries. Recent changes aim to significantly raise these levels, potentially making entry-level H-1B positions require much higher pay (e.g., over $200k in some areas) and giving higher-paid applicants a better chance in the lottery.
The $100,000 H-1B visa fee applies to U.S. employers filing new petitions on or after September 21, 2025, for foreign workers outside the U.S. who need to obtain an H-1B visa through consular processing or at a port of entry, but it doesn't apply to most petitions for workers already in the U.S. for status changes, extensions, or employer changes, nor to previously approved H-1B visas, with rare national interest exceptions possible for specific critical workers.
In 2025, the H-1B minimum wage requirement isn't a single number but the higher of the prevailing wage (based on DOL data for location/skill level) or the actual wage for similar jobs, though proposals in 2025 aimed to significantly raise minimums, with one debate centering around an $80,000 entry-level floor and a new Presidential Proclamation introduced an extra $100,000 fee for some new H-1B petitions in late 2025, alongside a new weighted lottery system favoring higher wages for the upcoming FY 2027 season.
USCIS Replaces Random H-1B Lottery with Wage-Weighted Selection. The annual randomized H-1B lottery will be replaced with a new weighted selection process that favors workers with the highest wage offers, according to a final rule issued Dec. 29, 2025, by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Servies (USCIS).
Employees with H-1B visas have been at the core of their strategy, given that they cost nearly 20% cheaper than US-based employees”.
In certain parts of the U.S., $20 per hour is a decent living wage compared to other areas. Knowing how to calculate your earnings by week, month and year is essential to budgeting your money and making intelligent financial decisions.