Reference · The reference desk

H-1B Reference: Procedures, Fees & Policy

Eleven pages that answer one procedural question each. They work on their own; jump to the question you came with. The eight-lesson course is one click away.

How the program works

  1. What Is H-1B?The cap, lottery, wage rules, and the path from filing to visa.
  2. The H-1B LotteryRegistration, weighted selection, petition, approval: the season in order.
  3. The LCARead the wage promise behind every H-1B filing.
  4. SOC Codes, ExplainedWhat occupation codes identify, their versions, and the wages beside them.
  5. USCISWhat USCIS decides, and where DOL takes over.

Cases, money, and clocks

  1. Case StatusHow to read an H-1B case status and its public record.
  2. H-1B FeesThe filing fees that make up the H-1B cost stack.
  3. Processing TimesThe separate clocks that shape an H-1B case.

Job changes and extensions

  1. H-1B TransfersWhat changes when an H-1B worker changes employers.
  2. H-1B ExtensionsHow extensions work within the H-1B time limit.

Permanent residence and policy

  1. H-1B to Green CardThe path from H-1B status to permanent residence.
  2. PERM, ExplainedThe green-card labor certification, its statuses, and Certified-Expired.
  3. H-1B ProclamationWhat the presidential proclamation changed and what it did not.

Worker rights and help

  1. Worker Exploitation & TraffickingWarning signs, worker rights, and help with reporting employer abuse.

What does each kind of evidence show?

The first three examples are fictional teaching scenarios. They describe no worker or employer in this archive. The fourth is a dated agency report.

Offered wage — fictional example
Illustration: an LCA lists an annual offer of $84,000. This is a hypothetical filed offer. It does not show the worker’s payroll payments.
Payroll evidence — fictional example
Illustration: a pay statement lists $3,000 in gross wages for a two-week period. These amounts are hypothetical. Keep that period, hours, deductions, and payment records together. Compare the same worker and period before drawing a conclusion about pay.
Open question — fictional example
Does a lower payment reflect fewer covered days, a deduction, or unpaid time? The offer and one pay statement do not answer that question. Obtain the relevant records and check the required wage and any applicable nonproductive-time rules.[1]
Agency finding — historical example
On February 15, 2019, DOL reported that an administrative law judge ordered TLC Precision Wafer Technologies Inc. to pay a former employee $43,366 in back wages plus interest. DOL reported a failure to pay required wages and maintain required records. This describes that case; it makes no finding about another employer.[2]

Example sources checked October 12, 2026. The historical report does not establish the employer’s current compliance.

References

  1. [1] Law or rulemaking · eCFR. 20 CFR 655.731. 20 CFR 655.731(c)(7); 20 CFR 655.731(a)Employer-caused nonproductive time and qualifying voluntary or unrelated absences have different rules.; The required wage is the higher of the actual wage and prevailing wage. An independent market median is a comparison, not this legal test.Checked 2026-10-08.
  2. [2] Primary record · U.S. Department of Labor. Judge orders TLC Precision Wafer Technologies to pay back wages. February 15, 2019; release 19-0233-CHIHistorical agency news release. No current compliance or appeal-status claim.Checked 2026-10-12.

Every page is free, needs no account, and links into the live record.

Pick your question

Learning PortalStart with: What Is H-1B?

Public source records and site analysis. We do not attest to accuracy. Read the full disclaimer.