H1B visa

or H-1B vi·sa

[ eych-wuhn-bee vee-suh ]

noun

1. a visa permitting a skilled worker with specialized expertise to reside in the U.S. for a certain number of years and work for a sponsoring employer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of H1B visa¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Redmond-based Microsoft employed a tech industry-leading 8,000 immigrant guest workers on the H1B visa program in 2021, according to Business Insider.

From Seattle Times

Counting H1B visa holders who arrived in previous years, there were close to 600,000 of these immigrant workers in the United States as of 2019, according to a Homeland Security Department report widely cited as the most accurate count available.

From Washington Post

The H1B visa lottery for 2024 opens in March, so it will soon become clear whether demand for high-skilled workers remains as strong as it has been.

From Washington Post

Another H1B visa holder — who spoke on the condition of anonymity so his parents in India wouldn’t find out he had lost his job — voiced frustration that he’d been courted by recruiters in the past, but is now struggling to find a job so he and his wife don’t get deported.

From Washington Post

“These H1B visa holders don’t have the luxury of time.”

From Washington Post