10 Cap-Exempt H-1B Employers Hiring Year-Round in 2026
Cap-exempt H-1B employers file petitions year-round with no lottery. See the top employers ranked by LCA filing volume, with salary data and job search tips for each.
Cap-exempt H-1B employers file petitions year-round with no lottery, no registration window, and no October 1 start date. For FY2026, only about one-third of H-1B registrants were selected under the annual cap. The employers on this list bypass the H-1B lottery entirely.
Four categories qualify for H-1B cap exemption: universities, affiliated nonprofits, nonprofit research organizations, and government research labs. They can file at any point during the year and are eligible for premium processing, which gets you a USCIS decision within 15 business days.
| Employer | Cap-Exempt Category | LCA Filings | Avg Salary | Primary Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California system | Higher education | 1,156 | $87,119 | CA (10 campuses) |
| University of Michigan | Higher education | 488 | $83,708 | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Mayo Clinic | Affiliated nonprofit | 486 | $81,080 | Rochester, MN |
| Stanford University | Higher education | 434 | $103,146 | Stanford, CA |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Higher education | 360 | $99,390 | St. Louis, MO |
| Johns Hopkins University | Higher education | 359 | $96,188 | Baltimore, MD |
| Emory University | Higher education | 346 | $121,245 | Atlanta, GA |
| University of Pennsylvania | Higher education | 341 | $89,456 | Philadelphia, PA |
| St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Nonprofit research | 278 | $85,720 | Memphis, TN |
| National Institutes of Health | Government research | 184 | $109,896 | Bethesda, MD |
Salary figures are LCA-certified averages from FY2025 DOL disclosure data, sourced April 2026.
Source: DOL OFLC disclosure data via Migrate Mate's LCA/DOL employer dataset.
10 cap-exempt H-1B employers ranked by LCA filing volume
1. University of California system: largest cap-exempt employer network
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Locations | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,156 | $87,119 | 10 campuses, 5 medical centers | Higher education |
The University of California system filed more LCA applications than any other cap-exempt employer in FY2025, more than double the next closest institution. Ten campuses and five medical centers cover nearly every specialty occupation in academic and applied research.
Individual campus salaries vary significantly. UCSF and UCLA report higher averages in clinical research and computer science. Each campus runs its own HR portal, so you won't find every opening in a single search.
Top filing concentrations:
- Postdoctoral research and faculty positions (all campuses)
- Clinical research (UCSF, UCLA)
- Data science and engineering (UC San Diego, UCLA)
- Biomedical research (UC San Diego, UCSF)
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at University of California on Migrate Mate
- Search UC Recruit for postdoctoral and faculty roles across all campuses
- Individual campus career sites for staff and clinical positions: UCLA, UCSF, UC San Diego each maintain separate portals
2. University of Michigan: highest single-campus H-1B filing volume
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Approval rate | Avg Salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 488 | 91.6% | $83,708 | Ann Arbor, MI | Higher education |
The University of Michigan filed the most LCA applications of any single-campus institution on this list. Its 91.6% approval rate is one of the highest among major research universities and a sign of a well-practiced sponsorship operation.
Engineering, medicine, and life sciences at the Ann Arbor campus account for the strongest filing volumes.
Top filing departments:
- Engineering
- Biomedical research
- Medicine and life sciences
- Computer science
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at University of Michigan on Migrate Mate
- Search careers.umich.edu, filter by specialty area
3. Mayo Clinic: cap-exempt positions across three states
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Locations | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 486 | $81,080 | Rochester MN / Jacksonville FL / Phoenix AZ | Affiliated nonprofit |
The Mayo Clinic's filings are split across three campuses, making it the only employer on this list with cap-exempt opportunities in three states. The mix of clinical and research roles is also unusual: most cap-exempt employers are primarily one or the other.
Top roles by filing volume:
- Clinical Resident: 148 filings
- Research-focused clinical positions
- Applied biomedical research roles
Location notes:
- Jacksonville operates in a state with no income tax
- Phoenix offers a lower cost of living than California or Massachusetts research hubs
- Applying to all three campuses significantly expands your total pool of qualifying openings
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at Mayo Clinic on Migrate Mate
- Search careers.mayoclinic.org, filter by campus location
- Set up job alerts for each campus separately. Positions post independently across locations and are not aggregated into a single feed.
4. Stanford University: highest average salary among top university filers
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Approval rate | Average salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 434 | 97.2% | $103,146 | Stanford, CA | Higher education |
Stanford filed 434 LCA applications with a 97.2% approval rate and the highest average salary on this list. The figures reflect a concentration of AI, ML, and computational biology roles that compete directly with private-sector compensation in the surrounding Silicon Valley labor market.
Stanford is also the strongest institutional base for the concurrent employment strategy. A cap-exempt position here lets you add a cap-subject tech employer without entering the lottery, with your visa status already secured through the university role.
Top filing departments:
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Bioengineering
- Stanford Research Computing Center
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at Stanford on Migrate Mate
- Search careers.stanford.edu, filter by department
5. Washington University in St. Louis: top-five filer with a Midwest cost advantage
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 360 | $99,390 | St. Louis, MO | Higher education |
WashU consistently ranks in the top five H-1B cap-exempt employers nationally. The $99,390 average salary goes substantially further in St. Louis than a comparable figure in Boston or San Francisco, where housing costs significantly erode nominal pay.
The School of Medicine drives the majority of H-1B filings, concentrated in molecular biology, neuroscience, and immunology.
Top filing areas:
- Molecular biology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Biomedical research (School of Medicine)
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at Washington University on Migrate Mate
- Search jobs.wustl.edu
- Set up email alerts and filter specifically for positions requiring a specialized degree. WashU's total listings span a wide range of administrative and support roles that do not qualify for cap-exempt sponsorship.
6. Johns Hopkins University: dual-pathway cap-exempt access
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Cumulative H-1B records | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 359 | 2,811 | $96,188 | Baltimore, MD | Higher education |
Johns Hopkins has one of the deepest sponsorship histories among cap-exempt employers, with 2,811 cumulative H-1B records. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow role alone accounts for 688 cumulative filings, reflecting a long-term commitment to postdoctoral H-1B sponsorship.
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) provides a second, separate cap-exempt pathway. APL qualifies under the government research organization category. STEM professionals in defense, national security, or applied physics can access this pathway entirely independently from the university hiring process.
Top roles (cumulative filings):
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow: 688 filings
- Research Associate: 479 filings
- Faculty and clinical research roles
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at Johns Hopkins University on Migrate Mate
- Search jobs.jhu.edu for university positions
- Search jhuapl.edu/careers for Applied Physics Laboratory roles (separate pipeline, separate cap-exempt category)
- The Bloomberg School of Public Health posts positions independently on the main HR portal. If public health is your focus, check there specifically.
7. Emory University: highest average salary on the list, with CDC research access
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 346 | $121,245 | Atlanta, GA | Higher education |
Emory's $121,245 average salary is the highest on this list, reflecting a concentration of senior research and faculty positions rather than entry-level roles. Titles skew toward Assistant Professor, Research Scientist, and senior Postdoctoral Fellow. Specialized credentials are typically required.
The Rollins School of Public Health operates in close partnership with the CDC, headquartered in Atlanta. That proximity opens up epidemiology, global health, and infectious disease research roles you won't find at most other universities.
Top cumulative roles:
- Assistant Professor: 395 cumulative filings
- Postdoctoral Fellow: 368 cumulative filings
- Research Scientist
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at Emory University on Migrate Mate
- Search hr.emory.edu/careers
- Public health researchers should look specifically at Rollins School of Public Health postings, which often involve CDC-collaborative projects
8. University of Pennsylvania: broadest specialty occupation range
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 341 | $89,456 | Philadelphia, PA | Higher education |
UPenn's filing volume spans research, medicine, and business disciplines. Most cap-exempt employers are primarily research-oriented. UPenn is one of the few where business analysts, clinical researchers, and software engineers all qualify under the same cap-exempt umbrella.
Qualifying schools and disciplines:
- Wharton School: business research roles
- Penn Medicine: clinical and translational research
- School of Engineering and Applied Science: software and systems roles
- School of Arts and Sciences: basic research
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at UPenn on Migrate Mate
- Search careers.hr.upenn.edu for main university listings
- Penn Medicine posts positions separately
9. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: donation-funded sponsorship with computational biology growth
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 278 | $85,720 | Memphis, TN | Nonprofit research |
St. Jude operates as a pure nonprofit research hospital. Its budget comes entirely from donations, not patient billing. That structure means the sponsorship pipeline is not tied to billing cycles or insurance reimbursement rates.
The computational biology and bioinformatics pipeline has been expanding consistently, making St. Jude one of the more data-science-accessible cap-exempt employers on this list. Memphis has a substantially lower cost of living than coastal research cities, giving the $85,720 average more practical purchasing power than a similar figure in San Francisco or Boston.
Top roles by filing volume:
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Scientist and Associate Scientist
- Bioinformatics Research Scientist
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at St. Jude on Migrate Mate
- Search stjude.org/jobs
- Data-focused researchers should look directly at bioinformatics and computational biology department listings
10. National Institutes of Health: government research pathway
| LCA filings (FY2025) | Avg salary | Location | Cap-exempt category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 184 | $109,896 | Bethesda, MD | Government research |
NIH is cap-exempt under the government research organization category, a separate designation from the higher education category used by the universities above. As the largest government research organization in the world, NIH encompasses 27 institutes and centers.
Government hiring moves more slowly than university recruiting. Expect the process from application to offer to take longer than a comparable academic role. NIH hiring volumes also shift with annual federal budget cycles. These 184 filings reflect a specific budget period.
Top roles by filing volume:
- Research Fellow: 78 filings
- Staff Scientist: 22 filings
- Clinical Fellow: 20 filings
Where to search:
- Search visa sponsorship jobs at NIH on Migrate Mate
- Search jobs.nih.gov for current openings (do not assume consistent year-round availability)
Find H-1B cap-exempt employers verified by LCA filing history
Migrate Mate's job board is built on DOL/LCA filing history data, so every employer's verified sponsorship record is visible before you apply. Filter by employer type, location, and role to find cap-exempt openings that match your specialty occupation.
Find cap-exempt H-1B jobs on Migrate Mate
Search open rolesFrequently asked questions
Can you work for both a cap-exempt and a cap-subject employer at the same time?
Yes. Through concurrent H-1B employment, you can hold a cap-exempt position and add a cap-subject position without entering the lottery. The cap-subject petition isn't counted against the annual cap as long as you maintain the cap-exempt job. This strategy is the most common path from academia to the private sector without re-entering the lottery.
Are cap-exempt employers exempt from the $100,000 H-1B fee?
No. Cap-exempt employers must pay the $100,000 fee for H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025, for beneficiaries outside the U.S. who don't hold a valid H-1B visa. Most university H-1B hires involve F-1 students already in the U.S. changing status, and change-of-status requests are generally not subject to this fee.
What types of nonprofit organizations qualify for H-1B cap exemption?
Two types qualify. Nonprofit research organizations whose primary mission is basic or applied research can file cap-exempt petitions. Nonprofit entities with a formal written affiliation agreement with a university, where a fundamental activity contributes to the university's research or education mission, also qualify. Being a 501(c)(3) alone doesn't make an organization cap-exempt.
What happens if you leave your cap-exempt employer?
You lose cap-exempt status. If you move to a cap-subject employer, that employer must file a new H-1B petition subject to the annual cap and lottery. To avoid this, some workers maintain concurrent employment at the cap-exempt institution while transitioning to a cap-subject role.
Do all jobs at a university qualify for cap-exempt H-1B status?
No. The position must be a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field under USCIS cap-exemption rules. Administrative or support roles that don't require a specialized degree don't qualify, even at a university. The cap exemption flows from the employer category, but the role itself must still meet H-1B specialty occupation requirements.
Can you apply for a cap-exempt H-1B at any time of year?
Yes. Cap-exempt petitions aren't subject to the April 1 filing window or the annual lottery. Your employer can file on your behalf at any point during the fiscal year.
About the Author
Founder & CEO @ Migrate Mate
I moved from Australia to the United States in 2023. I have had 3 jobs, and 3 different visas. I started Migrate Mate to help people like me find their dream job in the USA & help them get visa sponsorship.
