1,126,690
International students in US (2023–24)
↗ IIE Open Doors ReportBy the numbers · public sources only
1,126,690
International students in US (2023–24)
↗ IIE Open Doors Report85,000
Annual H-1B cap (65k regular + 20k master's)
↗ USCIS, INA §214(g)(1)(A)386,318
H-1B petitions approved, FY2024
↗ USCIS Annual Performance Report FY2024~75%
of H-1Bs go to STEM occupations
↗ USCIS H-1B Characteristics Report FY202324 months
STEM OPT extension max (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C))
↗ DHS regulationYear-round
Cap-Exempt employers can sponsor (no lottery)
↗ 8 USC 1184(g)(5), universities + research nonprofitsEvery number above is from a public US government, IRS, or IIE report. Nothing internally fabricated. We update quarterly when USCIS/DHS releases new data.
The basics
The H-1B cap (65,000 + 20,000 master's) covers private employers. Universities, affiliated nonprofits, and government research orgs are cap-exempt, they can sponsor H-1Bs year-round, no lottery. If you're applying to research roles, RA/TA appointments, or industry-affiliated labs, you're in cap-exempt territory and can transition smoothly.
CPT is for internships during your degree (you must be enrolled). OPT is up to 12 months of post-graduation work authorization (24-month STEM extension if your degree qualifies). Most students apply for OPT 90 days before graduation. The window is real and tight, calendar-aware applications matter.
Recruiters who write "are you authorized to work without sponsorship" usually mean it. But a strong, specific application + a visa-aware outreach message is much better than auto-disqualifying yourself in the cover letter. We help you frame it: lead with what you ship, then handle the question if it comes up.
Tools like Rezi or Kickresume don't know what "OPT-eligible" means. They'll auto-fill cover letters that flag visa status before the recruiter sees what you built. SundayApply is the only major AI job tool with explicit F-1 awareness, we don't lead with visa, but we don't hide it either.
Sponsor signal
A starter list, sourced from USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. We update this list quarterly. Cap-Exempt employers (★) sponsor year-round, no lottery, the under-discussed path.
Tier 1, Big Tech·5,000+ H-1Bs/yr historically
Microsoft
Tier 1, Big Tech·4,000+ H-1Bs/yr
Amazon
Tier 1, Big Tech·10,000+ H-1Bs/yr (largest sponsor)
Meta
Tier 1, Big Tech·1,500+ H-1Bs/yr
Apple
Tier 1, Big Tech·2,500+ H-1Bs/yr
Stripe
Tier 1, Fintech·Sponsors regularly, public commitments
Databricks
Tier 1, Data infra·Documented sponsorship
Snowflake
Tier 1, Data infra·Documented sponsorship
Deloitte
Tier 2, Consulting·Highest-volume sponsor in US
Accenture
Tier 2, Consulting·1,000+ H-1Bs/yr
Most US Universities (R1)
★ Cap-Exempt·Year-round H-1B sponsorship for research/teaching
Stanford / MIT / CMU labs
★ Cap-Exempt·Affiliated 501(c)(3) research nonprofits
Mayo Clinic / Cleveland Clinic
★ Cap-Exempt·Hospital research orgs
National Labs (LBNL, ORNL, etc.)
★ Cap-Exempt·Federal research, no cap
Honest caveat: H-1B sponsorship history is a leading indicator, not a guarantee. Hiring freezes, role-level constraints, and policy shifts all matter. Always verify on a per-role basis.
What we actually do
When you paste a JD, we surface the company's H-1B sponsorship history (last 3 years) so you know where to invest your effort.
We track your OPT start date and STEM extension eligibility. Applications you generate respect your work-authorization window.
We never lead with "I need sponsorship." Our scripts lead with what you shipped, then handle the visa question with confidence + honesty.
Sign up with your .edu email and you start with 3 free credits instead of 2. No verification forms, no coupon codes, no card.
Real outcomes
We don’t publish names without explicit, written consent, and we don’t fabricate students. The archetypes below come from beta-tester outcomes; we’ll add named case studies as users opt in.
CS senior, top-25 uni, F-1, India
Landed FAANG SWE, OPT-pending
Used SundayApply for 12 applications. 4 callbacks, 2 onsites, 1 offer. Mentioned: "the cover letters didn't read like ChatGPT, recruiter complimented one specifically."
Master's CS, mid-tier uni, F-1, China
Landed cap-exempt research role at university lab
Applied to 18 cap-exempt employers (universities + research orgs) we surfaced. 7 interviews, 3 offers. Bypassed the H-1B lottery entirely.
Junior PM, top-10 uni, F-1, Brazil
Started internship at a Series B (CPT-eligible)
SundayApply's outreach scripts handled the visa question by framing CPT-eligibility upfront and confidently. Got the response in 18 hours.