H-1B Visa For Teachers: Complete Guide to Sponsors, Jobs, School Districts,

The H-1B visa is an excellent opportunity for skilled teachers to advance their careers while living and working in the United States. For primary, secondary, or University teachers with the necessary knowledge and training, the H-1B visa opens doors to teaching roles in the United States, particularly during ongoing national teacher shortages.

In this guide, you’ll discover H-1B visa eligibility requirements for teachers, a list of schools and districts that provide H-1B visa sponsorship for teachers based on the latest years’ data, and step-by-step guidance to help you successfully navigate the process and launch your teaching career in the U.S.

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In the video below, VisaNation attorney Shilpa Malik explains all about the H-1B visa for teachers and schools.

Latest News

• Breaking news: USCIS announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026-27 H-1B cap lottery will open at noon Eastern on March 4 2026 and run through noon Eastern on March 19, 2026.
• DHS has announced a final rule officially implementing wage- weighted selection for the FY 2026-2027 H-1B lottery.
• Under a presidential proclamation, a $100,000 fee applies to H-1B petitions for beneficiaries who are outside the United States and require consular processing. It does not apply to Change of Status filings, but for schools hiring directly from abroad, it is a massive financial hurdle.

What is the H-1B Visa for Teachers?

Many foreign teachers are interested in becoming teachers in the U.S. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa in the U.S. that enables schools to employ foreign teachers in specialty occupations. To qualify, the teaching position must require at least a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field, and the teacher must have the academic qualifications and state licensing.

For a teacher to qualify for the H-1B, a U.S.-based school must sponsor the teacher and file an I-129 petition and a Labor Condition Application, ensuring that the teacher will be paid the higher of the prevailing wage or actual wage and that their employment won’t negatively affect U.S. workers.

The H-1B visa is subject to an annual cap and a competitive wage-weighted lottery system, unless you apply through a cap-exempt organization. It has an initial duration of up to three years, extendable to a maximum of six years.

What Are The H-1B Requirements for Teachers?

The eligibility requirements for an H-1B for teachers include:

• Holding a bachelor’s degree or higher relevant to the teaching position. The required degree level varies based on the educational level they will be teaching—for example, primary school teachers may have different requirements than college professors.
• Having their degree evaluated to confirm equivalency if the degree was obtained outside the U.S.
• Relevant professional experience can be substituted for formal education. Typically, three years of experience equates to one year of collegiate education, meaning 12 years of experience could be considered equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. This equivalence must also be certified.
• Teachers must hold any required teaching licenses or demonstrate that they meet the criteria for obtaining one. If the license is not secured before arriving in the U.S., they must show they are eligible to obtain it.
• The employer sponsoring the teacher’s H-1B visa must submit an LCA to the Department of Labor. This application ensures that the foreign teacher will be paid at least the same wage as domestic workers with similar qualifications and experience or the prevailing wage for the position in the geographical area. The LCA also serves to confirm that employing the foreign teacher will not adversely affect the working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.

Immigration Tip: Teachers should check specific state board of education websites early in the H-1B process to ensure they meet licensing requirements before their visa application.

What U.S. School Districts Sponsor H-1B Visas?

Several U.S. school districts actively sponsored H-1B visas for teachers in FY 2025-26, especially in response to the ongoing teacher shortages and the need for educators with specific skills and qualifications. The top positions include:

• STEM Subjects: Math, Science, and Physics teachers.

• Special Education: Specialized instructors for students with disabilities.

• Bilingual Education: Teachers for ESL and dual-language programs.

• Specialized Staff: It is also common to see School Psychologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Occupational Therapists sponsored under H-1B status.

Based on a VisaNation analysis of USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub in FY 2025-2026, 3,850 K-12 H-1B petitions were granted across 812 Schools/Districts.

*Note that not every school within the district will be sponsoring, and they may change their polices at any time.

To discover more schools and districts, you can use reports on Myvisajobs, which provide jobs, and reports on schools sponsoring foreign professionals for H-1B visas.

The top universities hiring professors and teachers include:

Universities account for the vast majority of H-1B activity in this dataset, with 22,667 approvals in FY 2025

Cap Subject vs Cap-Exempt H-1B Schools

It’s important to understand that in the U.S., schools that sponsor H-1B visas for teachers fall into two categories: cap-exempt and cap-subject. This distinction determines how they hire foreign teachers and navigate the visa process.

Cap-Exempt Schools for H-1B Teachers

Some schools can sponsor H-1B visas without being limited by the annual cap. These typically include:

• Institutes of higher education (Colleges and universities)
• Governmental research centers
• Nonprofit entities affiliated with institutes of higher education or governmental research centers

Public school districts may also qualify for a cap exemption if they meet certain conditions, such as:

• Operating as a not-for-profit organization
• Having received approval under the numerical cap exemption since 2006
• Maintaining an Affiliation Agreement with a university and submitting related documentation.

Additionally, school districts can be cap-exempt if they have a formal agreement with a university for research or educational collaboration. This could include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proving an active working relationship.

Example A

A nonprofit STEM education center collaborates with a nearby university to offer teacher training and K-12 student outreach programs. The nonprofit, through its affiliation with the university, hires foreign teachers on a cap-exempt H-1B visa to lead workshops and curriculum development.

Example B

A public school district partners with a university research center to conduct education studies aimed at improving classroom teaching techniques. The district provides documentation of the research partnership and secures a cap-exempt H-1B visa for an international teacher-researcher to support the program.

Cap-Subject Schools for H-1B Teachers

Schools that do not meet the cap exemption criteria must follow the standard H-1B lottery process and are subject to the annual visa limit. The process includes:

1. The employer registers the beneficiary in the H-1B lottery during the designated registration window in March.
2. The employer proceeds with the full visa petition if selected.
3. USCIS approves the petition, and then the beneficiary can start working on or after October 1st.

Since the H-1B cap fills quickly, timing is critical for these schools.

Documents Required for H-1B Registration

• Employer’s name
• Employer’s FEIN identification number
• Business address
• Company’s contact information
• Employer’s lawyer contact information

The H-1B beneficiary will need to provide their name, birthdate, home country, passport number, gender, detailed CV, and official transcripts.

Learn all about the H-1B documents you will need for every stage.

How to Transfer Districts for Teachers on H-1B Status

Oftentimes, a teacher with H-1B status will wish to transfer to another school district. This requires the new school to file a transfer petition on your behalf.

• If you have already been counted against the annual H-1B cap, you can transfer to any district without participating in a new lottery.
• When filing a transfer, you must provide your previous Form I-129 and approval notices to confirm whether you were previously counted against the cap or if you are currently under a cap-exempt status.

Read how we got an H-1B approved within a week!

What is the Visa Validity Period For H-1B Teachers?

The H-1B visa for teachers allows an initial stay of 3 years, extendable by an additional 3 years, totaling 6 years. Further extensions in one-year increments are possible in certain situations, such as those with pending green card cases.

Spouses and Children of H-1B Teachers

Spouses and children of H-1B holders may qualify for H-4 status, granting them benefits like

• Employment Authorization Documents (EADs),
• The option to attend school
• Potential resident tuition fees
• Status change flexibility.

For specific impacts on family members and further advice, consulting an immigration professional is recommended.

H-1B Fees for Teachers

H-1B Lottery Chances for Teachers

With the introduction of the wage-weighted selection in the 2026-27 H-1B lottery, the chances for teachers are directly tied to the OEWS wage level.

Several factors influence the selection rate for teachers in the H-1B lottery, including:

• The OEWS wage level of the position, which is determined by the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and the geographic area (metropolitan area or county) of the intended employment. The OEWS Wage levels determine how many entries you get in the H-1B lottery:
  • Level I – 1 entry)

  • Level II –  (2 entries)

  • Level III – 3 entries

  • Level IV – 4 entries

• Whether the teacher has an advanced degree (master’s or higher), which increases the odds significantly. Those with an advanced degree participate in two rounds of the H-1b lottery.
• How many registrations were submitted in the lottery. The fewer the registrations, the less the competition.

In the petition stage, 98.1% of H-1B petitions were approved for the 61 NAICS industry codes, which cover the education sector in which teachers are categorized.

Alternative Visa Options for Teachers

If you do not qualify for an H-1B or are not selected, you may want to discuss alternative visa options, like the:

• J-1 visa teacher program, which allows foreign teachers to teach in an accredited school for up to three years.
• O-1 visa for highly skilled educators
• TN visas for Canadian/Mexican teachers

Since cases do vary so significantly, it’s advised to contact VisaNation Law Group today with your specific circumstances to get started.

Schedule a Consultation

Read what our clients have to say!

How VisaNation Can Help

The shift to a wage-weighted H-1B lottery has fundamentally changed the landscape for international teachers and school districts. The stakes have never been higher, as misclassifying a position’s wage level or failing to provide a bulletproof justification for a salary bump can lead to immediate denials or costly Requests for Evidence (RFEs).

Don’t leave your school’s staffing or your personal career to chance in this new regulatory environment.

Contact VisaNation Law Group today to for your H-1B lottery registration and petition, or to assist with a cap-exempt filing.

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