H-1B visa
Definition
A non-immigrant visa program in the United States that enables employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent expertise, typically in fields like technology, engineering, and medicine.
Subject to an annual cap of 85,000 visas (including 20,000 for advanced degree holders), it's a key pathway for skilled immigration but notorious for its lottery system and debates over wage suppression and job competition.
Examples
After years of grinding code in his home country, Raj finally snagged an H-1B visa and traded his flip-flops for Silicon Valley hoodies.
The H-1B visa lottery is like musical chairs for brilliant minds, except the music stops and 400,000 people scramble for 85,000 seats.
She leveraged her H-1B visa to launch a startup that's now valued higher than her ex's entire life choices.
Tech giants hoard H-1B visas like dragons with gold, fueling innovation while sparking endless Twitter wars over 'American jobs first.'