- ABeam Consulting
- Accenture
- Acquis Consulting Group
- Acquity Group
- Added Value
- Advisory Board Company
- AECOM
- Affiliated Computer Services (ACS)
- Agility Solutions
- ALaS Consulting
- The Alexander Group
- Alexander Proudfoot
- AlixPartners
- Alliance Consulting Group
- Allscripts Consulting Services
- Alpha Financial Markets Consulting
- Alsbridge
- Altman Vilandrie & Company
- Altran
- Alvarez & Marsal
- The AMI Solution
- AMTEC Consulting
- Analysis Group
- Analysys Mason
- Analytics Operations Engineering
- Anderson Analytics
- Answerthink
- Aon Consulting
- Applied Predictive Technologies (APT)
- Applied Value Group
- Archstone Consulting
- ARES Corporation
- Arryve Consulting
- Arthur D. Little
- Arup
- A.T. Kearney
- Atkins Global
- Atos Consulting
- Atos Origin
- AT&T Consulting
- Aurora Advisors
- Avanade
- Avasant
- Averro
- Axiom Consulting Partners
- Bain & Company
- Basis Technology
- Bates White
- BearingPoint
- Berkeley Partnership
- Berkshire Consultancy
- Beroe
- Beyond Analysis
- Beyond the Arc
- BI Consulting Group (acquired by Capgemini)
- Business Enterprises Services (BES)
- Blu Skye Consulting
- BMC Software Consulting
- Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)
- Booz & Company
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
- Boston Strategies International
- Bourton Group
- Boxwood Group
- BPI Group
- Brand Learning
- BRMi Consulting
- Brattle Group
- Bridgespan Group
- Bridgestar
- BridgeStreet Consulting Group
- BTS
- BT Global Services
- BT Telconsult
- Buck Consultants
- Burge Hughes Walsh Partnership (BHW)
- buyingTeam
- Cambridge Associates
- Cambridge Consultants
- Cambridge Group
- Cambridge Strategic Management Group (CSMG)
- The Camden Group
- Campbell Alliance
- Candesic
- CapGemini
- Capgemini Consulting
- Capco
- Casey Quirk
- Cask Consulting
- CAST Management Consultants
- CCS Fundraising
- CDC Development Solutions
- CDI Corporation
- CDM Consulting
- Cedar Management Consulting
- Celerant Consulting
- Celerity Consulting Group
- Center For Applied Research
- Center For Organizational Excellence
- Censeo Consulting Group
- Centric Consulting
- CGI
- CGN & Associates
- Charles River Associates (CRA)
- Chartis Group
- CIBER
- Cisco Consulting Services
- Civic Consulting Alliance
- CJ Consulting Group
- Clareo Partners
- ClearView Healthcare Partners
- Clearview Global
- Cognizant
- Compass Lexecon
- Computer Associates
- Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
- Constellation NY
- Cornerstone Research
- Corporate Executive Board
- Corporate Value Associates (CVA)
- Courtyard Group
- Crowe Horwath LLP
- CSC Management Consulting
- Cumberland Consulting Group
- Dalberg
- Daugherty Business Solutions
- Dean & Company
- Dell Perot Systems
- Deloitte Consulting
- Detica
- Diamond Management & Technology Consultants
- Droege Group
- DSG Systems
- Easton Associates
- ECG Management Consultants
- Edgar Dunn & Company
- Egon Zehnder International
- Elysium Digital
- Endeavor Group
- Entrue Consulting Partners
- ENVIRON
- EquaTerra
- Equation Consulting
- EquiBrand Consulting
- Ericsson Strategy Consulting Group
- Essex Lake Group
- Establish Consulting
- Etigo Consulting
- Eurasia Group
- Everest Group
- Everis
- Exeter Group
- Exponent
- Ernst & Young
- Fair Isaac (Braun Consulting)
- First Annapolis Consulting
- First Manhattan Consulting Group
- Fidelity Business Consulting (FBC)
- Fiscal Management Associates
- Fitzgerald Analytics
- Fletcher Spaght
- FMI Corporation
- Forum Corporation
- Franchise Consulting Group
- Frost & Sullivan
- FSG Social Impact Consultants
- FTI Consulting
- Fujitsu Consulting
- Gartner
- Gallup Consulting
- Galt & Company
- GE Healthcare
- GFK Group
- Giuliani Partners
- Global eProcure
- Global Intelligence Alliance
- Gotham Consulting Partners
- Grant Thornton
- Gravitas Technology
- Gravitytank
- The Greatest Good
- Greenwich Associates
- Hagerty Consulting
- Hackett Group
- Haig Barrett Management Consultants
- Haverstick Consulting
- Harbour Group
- Harris & Associates
- Hatch Associates
- Hay Group
- HCL Technologies
- Health Advances
- HealthEdge
- HealthScape Advisors
- Heidrick & Struggles
- Hewitt Associates (acquired by Aon)
- Hill & Knowlton
- Hitachi Consulting
- Hokenson Group
- HP Services
- Huron Consulting Group
- IBM Global Business Service
- IBB Consulting Group
- ICF International
- IDEO
- IFC Consulting
- Impact Advisors
- IMS Consulting Group
- IMS Health
- inCode
- Indra
- Ineum Consulting
- Infinitive
- Infosys Consulting
- Insight Catastrophe Group
- Insight Strategy Advisors
- Interscope
- Investance
- Investor Group Services (IGS)
- ipCapital Group
- Ipsos
- The IQ Business Group
- JC Jones & Associates
- Jabian Consulting
- Jacobs Consultancy
- Jefferson Wells International
- JRB & Company
- Juran Institute
- Kaiser Associates
- Kantar Group
- Kantar Health
- Katzenbach Partners (acquired by Booz & Company)
- Keane
- Kellen Company
- KEMA
- Keystone Group
- Keystone Strategy
- Knowledgent Group
- KPMG Consulting
- Kuczmarski & Associates
- Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA)
- Lansdowne Consulting
- The Lab Consulting
- LECG (Law and Economics Consulting Group)
- Leigh Fisher Associates
- LEK Consulting
- Liberty Mutual Group
- Lightspeed Research
- Lippincott
- Litmus Group
- Lockheed Martin
- Logica
- LOGIC Management Consulting
- Malcolm Pirnie
- Magenic Technologies
- Management Consulting Group
- M&A Partners
- Manpower
- Marakon Associates (acquired by Charles River Associates)
- Marketbridge
- Marketing Analytics
- Mars & Company
- Marshall-Teichert Group (MTG)
- Matrix Knowledge Group
- May Company Consulting
- McKinsey & Company
- Mercator Partners
- Mercer Consulting
- Milliman
- Millward Brown
- Miracle Software Systems
- Mitchell Madison Group
- Monitor Group
- Morningstar Consulting Group
- Mu Sigma
- MWH Consulting
- Navigant Consulting
- NERA Economic Consulting
- The Nielsen Company
- Nonprofit Empowerment Group (NEG)
- Northbridge Group
- Northrop Grumman Corporation Consulting
- North Highland
- The Nous Group
- NouvEON
- Novantas
- OC&C Strategy Consultants
- Ogilvy & Mather
- Oliver Wyman
- Omnex
- OmniaNow
- Opera Solutions
- Oracle Consulting
- Oxford & Associates
- PA Consulting Group
- Pace Harmon
- Pariveda Solutions
- Parthenon Group
- Pearl Meyer & Partners
- Peppers & Rogers Group
- PERI Software Consulting
- PKF Consulting
- Plus Consulting
- Plutus Consulting Group
- Point B
- PriceSpective
- PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
- Princeton Consultants
- Progress Group
- Prophet
- Protiviti
- Proudfoot Consulting
- Providge Consulting
- PRTM
- Putnam Associates
- Quantitative Risk Management
- Qedis Consulting
- Quartz Strategy Consultants (aka Quartz+Co)
- Quest Worldwide
- Quintiles Consulting
- Quint Wellington Redwood Group
- Rath & Strong
- Razorfish
- Real Options Group
- Red Oak Consulting
- Redstone Strategy Group
- Regency Group
- Resources Global Professionals
- RHR International
- Right Management Consultants
- Robert E. Nolan Company
- Robert Half International
- Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
- Roll Consulting
- Rosetta
- RPO Management Consultants
- RSM McGladrey
- Russell Reynolds Associates
- R.W. Beck
- SAIC
- The Saint Consulting Group
- Samsung Global Strategy
- SAP Consulting
- Sapient
- Schlumberger Business Consulting
- SDG Group
- Seabury Group
- SECOR
- Segal Company
- Serco Consulting
- SFN Group
- Sg2
- Sibson Consulting
- Siemens Management Consulting
- Simat Helliesen & Eichner (SH&E)
- Simon Kucher & Partners
- SkillStorm
- Slalom Consulting
- Sogeti
- Solving Efeso
- St. Charles Consulting Group
- Steria
- Stern Stewart & Company
- Steven Hall & Partners
- Stockamp & Associates (acquired by Huron Consulting Group)
- Strategic Decisions Group (SDG)
- Strategos
- Strategyx
- Stroud Consulting
- Subsurface Consultants & Associates (SCA)
- Summit Management Consulting
- Swander Pace & Company (merged with Kurt Salmon Associates)
- Synovate Business Consulting
- Tata Consultancy Services
- TASC
- TechnoServe
- Tefen Management Consulting
- TEKsystems
- Telisys Communications Consultants
- Templeton & Company
- Tieto
- TMNG Global
- TopRight Partners
- Towers Perrin (merged with Watson Wyatt)
- Towers Watson
- TPI
- Transform Consulting
- Treacy & Company
- Treasury Strategies
- Triage Consulting Group
- Tribal Group
- Trinity Horne
- Trinity Partners
- TriPoints Consulting
- Tunnell Consulting
- UHY Advisors
- Unisys Consulting
- USC Consulting Group
- USI Consulting Group
- ViaNovo
- Vivaldi Partners
- Value Partners Management Consulting
- Vantage Partners
- Visa Consulting and Analytics
- VMC Consulting
- Volt Consulting
- Waterstone Management Group
- Watson Wyatt Worldwide (merged with Towers Perrin)
- Wellspring Consulting
- Wellspring Partners (acquired by Huron Consulting Group)
- West Monroe Partners
- Westport Business Solutions
- Wipro Technologies
- WTP Advisors
- Xerox Business Consulting
- Xantus Consulting
- Xlent Consulting Group
- Yankelovich Partners
- Zolfo Cooper
- ZIETA Technologies
- ZS Associates
- 2020 Delivery
H1B Visa Application Process
– H1B Regular Processing
H1B visa applications can be filed by US employers one of 2 methods:
– H1B Regular Processing, or
– H1B Premium Processing
The difference is that H1B Premium Processing is a faster method to obtain an H1B visa. However, the US Government does charge an extra fee of $1,225 for Premium Processing (to expedite the application processing in as little as 15 days).
Regular Processing is a more cost-effective method but it takes longer. There is no set timeframe for a visa to be processed by the USCIS when filed through Regular Processing (it can take anywhere from 1 month to 6 months)
Below is an outline for the Regular H1B visa Processing method
H1B Visa – ‘ Regular’ Application Process:
- Offer & Acceptance of H1B Employment – H1B Sponsoring Company files a petition on your behalf.
An employer can be an individual, partnership or corporation. Applications are “job specific.” If your situation changes (for example, you lose your job or change locations), your new employer must file a new H1B visa petition. The visa is only valid for work with the employer that filed the original petition. The USCIS requires employment letters which provide:
» Specific information addressing the positions held
» The exact duties of the position
» The exact dates of employment
» Information regarding the supervisors and co-workers of the beneficiary.
- The ‘Prevailing Wage’ and actual wage must be determined and compared. The H1B sponsoring company is required to pay the higher of the two.
The prevailing wage is determined by the State Employment Security Agency by completing a special form, which asks the employer for the responsibilities, skills and experience needed for the job. The actual wage is determined by comparing other workers in the same positions with the same level of experience.
- File the Labor Certification Application (LCA).
This is a form that contains information about the H1B Sponsoring Company. By completing and signing the form, the sponsor company is agreeing to pay the higher of the two wages, that the employment of this individual will not adversely affect the conditions of other workers and that there is no strike for their occupation at the workplace. Recently, Congress determined that H1B sponsor companies must attest that they will offer H1B visa holders the same benefits as their other workers. This includes health, life, medical, retirement, stock options and bonuses.
- When the LCA is approved, the Department of Labor (DOL) will return a certified copy to the H1B sponsoring company.
- The sponsor company must post notices at two conspicuous places at their business of the H1B visa filing for 10 days or provide notice of the filing to the collective bargaining representative for their employees.
The LCA form can be used for the actual posting as well. After the Department of Labor accepts the LCA, then your employer can file your H1B visa petition.
- H1B Petition assembled & filed with appropriate USCIS Service office.
The filing must include the required forms, fees, documents and information; form I-129, education & experience evaluation & documents, training certificates, professional memberships, resume, employment agreement and letter of support.
- Wait for the H1B petition to be processed.
Processing times vary depending upon service center and the visa. It could be a few months wait. If the H1B employer can show a substantial need for the employee, USCIS might approve the petition sooner. Employment cannot begin, however, until USCIS has issued the appropriate visa.
- Receipt issued by USCIS
The petitioner (sponsoring company) is sent a receipt by the USCIS Service Centre which bears a 9 digit reference number pertaining only to that particular case, H1B processing times and general information about the petitioner and foreign worker. This is the petitioners first confirmation that the petition is in the adjudicating queue.
- A notice is generated by the prospective employerand mailed to the applicant notifying him/her of this receipt and outlining information on processing times etc. The notice should warn the consultant not to resign from current employment, sell accommodation or make any major life changes until it is communicated that the H1B visa petition has been approved.
- Petition Approval
Generally a case will be approved within or on the designated time frame outlined in the USCIS receipt. An approval notice (Form I-797) is issued to the petitioner. The Form I-797 shows dates of validity for the foreign worker to work in H1B status for the petitioner .
~ The H1B visa beneficiary then applies for personal and family visas at the Consulate.
~ Normally, people apply to the Consulate that is closest to where they live.
~ Visa processing normally takes 2-3 days, depending on the Consulate.
Once the passports are returned with valid H1B visa stamp, the Consultant and his/her family may enter the U.S. in H status.
* View details of the latest H1B Fees Increase
* To learn how to expedite your H1B visa application by using the Premium Processing Service ~ click here
H1B Visa Learning and Information:
For Professional Assistance to obtain H1B Jobs and Visa Sponsorship – GO HERE
» H1B Visa Requirements to Qualify for an H1B Work Visa
» H1B Professions that Qualify to obtain an H1B visa
» H1B Visa Filing Procedure – for H1B Premium Processing
» List of H1B Documents Required for H1B Visa Petition Filing
» H1B Visa Fees and Costs for Filing an H1B Application
» H1B Visa Extension – Steps to Extend / Revalidate an H1B Visa
» H1B Visa Transfer – How to Transfer an H1B to a new Employer
» Multiple H1B Visas – Rules for Holding Multiple H1B visas for multiple Employers
» H1B Visa Status – Procedure To Check the Status of a Filed H1B Visa Application
» H1B Visa Interview at the US Consulate Office Explained
» H1B Visa Stamping – Documents and Procedure for H1B Stamping
» Information for H1B Employers and H1B Sponsor Companies
» The H1B Cap Exempt Visa Program Explained
Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion). However, all periods of pre-completion OPT will be deducted from the available period of post-completion OPT.
Types of OPT
All OPT must be directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students may participate in OPT in two different ways:
- Pre-completion OPT: F-1 students may apply to participate in pre-completion OPT after they have been enrolled in school for one full academic year. Students authorized to participate in pre-completion OPT must work part-time while school is in session. They may work full time when school is not in session.
- Post-completion OPT: F-1 students may apply to participate in post-completion OPT after completing their studies. Students authorized for post-completion OPT may work part-time (at least 20 hours per week) or full-time.
Please Note: Practical training may be authorized to an F-1 student who has been lawfully enrolled on a full time basis for one full academic year at a college, university, conservatory, or seminary that has been certified by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll F-1 students. The “one full academic year” requirement may be satisfied while in another nonimmigrant category, not just while in F-1 status. Students may participate in OPT both before and after completing their studies. However, all periods of pre-completion OPT will be deducted from the available period of post-completion OPT.
STEM OPT Extension
Students who have earned degrees in certain science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT employment authorization if they:
- Are an F-1 student who received a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree included on the STEM Designated Degree Program List (PDF),
- Are employed by an employer enrolled in E-Verify, and
- Received an initial grant of post-completion OPT employment authorization based on their STEM degree.
If you are interested in applying for a STEM OPT extension, please see our Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) page for more information.
Applying for OPT
Generally, if you are an F-1 student who wants to apply for OPT, you must:
- Request that your designated school official (DSO) at your academic institution recommend the OPT. Your DSO will make the recommendation by endorsing your Form I-20 and making the appropriate notation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
- Properly file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with USCIS, accompanied by the required fee and the supporting documentation as described in the form instructions.
When to apply
If you are applying based on a… For… Then you… STEM degree Pre-completion OPT - Must apply within 30 days of your DSO entering the recommendation for OPT into your SEVIS record, and
- May apply up to 90 days before you complete a full academic year, as long as you do not start OPT employment until you complete one full academic year.
Initial post-completion OPT - Must apply within 30 days of your DSO entering the recommendation for OPT into your SEVIS record, and
- May apply up to 90 days before you complete your degree, but no later than 60 days after you complete your degree.
Post-completion STEM OPT extension - Must apply within 60 days of your DSO entering the recommendation for OPT into your SEVIS record, and
- May apply up to 90 days before you complete your degree, but no later than 60 days after you complete your degree.
Non-STEM degree Pre-completion OPT - Must apply within 30 days of your DSO entering the recommendation for OPT into your SEVIS record, and
- May apply up to 90 days before you complete a full academic year, as long as you do not start OPT employment until you complete one full academic year.
Post-completion OPT - Must apply within 30 days of your DSO entering the recommendation for OPT into your SEVIS record, and
- May apply up to 90 days before you complete your degree, but no later than 60 days after you complete your degree.
You may begin your OPT only after USCIS approves your Form I-765 and you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Cap-gap Extension for F-1 Students with Approved H-1B Petitions
If you are an F-1 student with a timely filed H-1B petition and change of status request, and your F-1 status and employment authorization will expire before the change of status to H-1B occurs (typically October 1), you may be eligible for a cap-gap extension. Go to our Cap-Gap Extension page for more information.