Overview
Sponsoring workers in the USA
Compare US worker sponsorship routes, including H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, PERM and seasonal visas. Read guides to costs, steps and employer obligations.
In this section
- H-2A for farmsOpenThe H-2A program lets US farm employers, associations, and farm labor contractors hire foreign workers for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs when not enough US workers are available. The employer gets a temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor, files Form I-129 with USCIS, and must pay the required wage, provide free inspected housing and daily transportation, and reimburse travel. There is no annual cap, but year-round jobs such as most dairy work do not qualify.
- H-2B seasonal workersRestrictedThe H-2B program lets US employers hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs, such as landscaping, hotels and resorts, seafood processing, and amusement parks, when the need is one-time, seasonal, peakload, or intermittent. The employer needs a temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor, then files Form I-129 with USCIS. Congress caps new H-2B workers at 66,000 a year, and demand usually exceeds it, so filing on the first eligible day matters.
- Hire on TN statusOpenTN status lets a US employer hire Canadian and Mexican citizens in about 60 professions listed in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), with no lottery and no annual cap. Canadians can apply at the border or a preclearance airport with your support letter, while Mexicans need a TN visa from a US consulate. You do not file a Labor Condition Application, and each approval lasts up to 3 years, renewable without a set limit.
- I-9 and E-VerifyEvery US employer must complete Form I-9 for every new hire, citizen or not, to verify identity and permission to work: the employee finishes Section 1 by the first day of work, and the employer inspects documents and finishes Section 2 within 3 business days. E-Verify is an online check against government records that is voluntary for most private employers but required for federal contractors with the E-Verify clause, employers of STEM OPT students, and employers in some states. Since August 1, 2026, only the Form I-9 edition with a 05/31/2027 expiration date is valid.
- L-1 transfersOpenThe L-1 lets a company with offices abroad transfer an employee to a related US office: L-1A for managers and executives (up to 7 years) and L-1B for staff with specialized knowledge (up to 5 years). The employee must have worked for the related foreign company for at least one continuous year in the last three. There is no cap or lottery, and large companies with a blanket L approval can send staff straight to a US consulate.
- PERM green card sponsorshipOpenPERM labor certification is the Department of Labor process a US employer completes before sponsoring most workers for an employment-based green card in the EB-2 or EB-3 category. The employer gets a prevailing wage determination, tests the US labor market through set recruitment steps, files Form ETA-9089, and then files Form I-140 with USCIS. The employer must pay all PERM costs, and the worker's wait after that depends on the visa bulletin for their country of birth.
- Sponsor an H-1BOpenTo sponsor an H-1B worker, a US employer registers the worker in the March lottery (unless the employer is cap-exempt), gets a certified Labor Condition Application from the Department of Labor, and files Form I-129 with USCIS. Since February 27, 2026, the lottery gives more entries to higher wage levels. As of September 2026, USCIS fees for a new cap-subject worker are about $2,225 for a small employer and $3,545 or more for a larger one, before premium processing and legal fees, and the $100,000 proclamation payment is not being collected because of a June 8, 2026 court ruling.
- Sponsor an O-1OpenThe O-1 lets a US employer or agent hire someone with extraordinary ability: O-1A covers science, education, business, and athletics, and O-1B covers the arts, film, and television. The petition must prove sustained acclaim through a major award or at least three evidence criteria, and include an advisory opinion from a peer group. There is no cap or lottery, no degree requirement, and no Labor Condition Application, so it is a common alternative when a strong candidate misses the H-1B lottery.
- US sponsorship costsAs of September 2026, US government fees to sponsor one worker range from about $800 for a TN or O-1 petition at a small employer to well over $5,000 for an H-1B or L-1 at a large company using premium processing, before legal fees. Most fees depend on company size: employers with 25 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees and nonprofits pay reduced filing and Asylum Program fees. The $100,000 H-1B proclamation payment is not being collected while a June 8, 2026 court ruling stands.
General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.