H-1B Visa Mainframe Programmer Jobs
Mainframe Programmer roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field. COBOL and z/OS expertise remain in high demand at financial institutions, insurance carriers, and government contractors that routinely sponsor H-1B petitions.
Find H-1B Visa Mainframe Programmer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 18+ Mainframe Programmer jobs
See all Mainframe Programmer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Mainframe Programmer roles.
Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Financial Information Services Agency and the Office of Payroll Administration (FISA-OPA) has a vacancy for a Mainframe Programmer Analyst. FISA maintains a mainframe payroll application that is integrated with the City's timekeeping and personnel application for active employees. Additionally, FISA maintains a mainframe Pension Payroll system that is integrated/interfaces with five separate pension agencies for retirees. Mainframe development work is triaged through the analyst group and as a mainframe programmer analyst, along with the Lead, the programmer analyst shall review the business/technical requirements, and provide technical guidance as well as architectural suggestions. The programmer analyst shall support the current ongoing development work of the long term, highly complex PMS replacement project. The programmer analyst shall work closely with the technical Lead and FISA analyst, testing, and operations staff to create accurate and efficient processes. The programmer analyst shall support production payroll and pension payroll activities.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direction of the technical lead, work in a techno-functional capacity with a strong understanding of business processes, mainframe programming (COBOL), and relational databases to design, program, and assist in determining impact of change to programs and systems. Shall also review and analyze program specifications to determine the effort needed to make changes. The programmer analyst shall also be On-Call for overnight and weekend Payroll and Pension Payroll processes.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- An associate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above.
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Strong experience as a senior mainframe (COBOL/UIMS/D82) programmer
- Strong experience with JCUPROCS/CTLCARDS
- Strong experience design/program and architecture in a mainframe environment
- Strong production coverage and troubleshooting experience
- Strong knowledge of RMDS/EXPEDITER/File-Aid for IMS/D82
- Strong experience with management of Technical Staff
- Extensive experience in the preparation of structure charts or invocation diagrams
- Extensive experience designing the architecture of mainframe applications and dependencies
- Excellent understanding of systems development lifecycle methodologies
- Experience working with enterprise wide, large-scale implementation
- Knowledge of the City's legacy payroll management system
- Knowledge of the City's personnel processing
- Knowledge of the City's timekeeping processing
- Excellent communication skills (Oral and Written), interpersonal, and organizational skills
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The City of New York offers a comprehensive set of benefits and programs to employees, including health insurance, pension plan, Deferred Compensation Plan (with 457, 401K and Roth IRA options), pre-tax Commuter Benefit program, pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts programs and more. Additional benefits such as prescription drug coverage, dental benefits, vision care benefits and more are also available through District Council 37 – Local 2627, the union that represents employees in this title.
To Apply
Applicants may visit the Jobs NYC website and apply to Job ID: 783081. While all complete applications will be given consideration, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
PUBLIC SVC LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment program. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
HOURS/SHIFT
35 hours Weekly/Day.
WORK LOCATION
5 Manhattan West, NY, NY
COMPENSATION
$75,000.00 – $125,000.00
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
New York City Residency is not required for this position.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
INTRODUCTION
The Financial Information Services Agency and the Office of Payroll Administration (FISA-OPA) has a vacancy for a Mainframe Programmer Analyst. FISA maintains a mainframe payroll application that is integrated with the City's timekeeping and personnel application for active employees. Additionally, FISA maintains a mainframe Pension Payroll system that is integrated/interfaces with five separate pension agencies for retirees. Mainframe development work is triaged through the analyst group and as a mainframe programmer analyst, along with the Lead, the programmer analyst shall review the business/technical requirements, and provide technical guidance as well as architectural suggestions. The programmer analyst shall support the current ongoing development work of the long term, highly complex PMS replacement project. The programmer analyst shall work closely with the technical Lead and FISA analyst, testing, and operations staff to create accurate and efficient processes. The programmer analyst shall support production payroll and pension payroll activities.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direction of the technical lead, work in a techno-functional capacity with a strong understanding of business processes, mainframe programming (COBOL), and relational databases to design, program, and assist in determining impact of change to programs and systems. Shall also review and analyze program specifications to determine the effort needed to make changes. The programmer analyst shall also be On-Call for overnight and weekend Payroll and Pension Payroll processes.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- An associate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above.
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Strong experience as a senior mainframe (COBOL/UIMS/D82) programmer
- Strong experience with JCUPROCS/CTLCARDS
- Strong experience design/program and architecture in a mainframe environment
- Strong production coverage and troubleshooting experience
- Strong knowledge of RMDS/EXPEDITER/File-Aid for IMS/D82
- Strong experience with management of Technical Staff
- Extensive experience in the preparation of structure charts or invocation diagrams
- Extensive experience designing the architecture of mainframe applications and dependencies
- Excellent understanding of systems development lifecycle methodologies
- Experience working with enterprise wide, large-scale implementation
- Knowledge of the City's legacy payroll management system
- Knowledge of the City's personnel processing
- Knowledge of the City's timekeeping processing
- Excellent communication skills (Oral and Written), interpersonal, and organizational skills
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The City of New York offers a comprehensive set of benefits and programs to employees, including health insurance, pension plan, Deferred Compensation Plan (with 457, 401K and Roth IRA options), pre-tax Commuter Benefit program, pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts programs and more. Additional benefits such as prescription drug coverage, dental benefits, vision care benefits and more are also available through District Council 37 – Local 2627, the union that represents employees in this title.
To Apply
Applicants may visit the Jobs NYC website and apply to Job ID: 783081. While all complete applications will be given consideration, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
PUBLIC SVC LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment program. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
HOURS/SHIFT
35 hours Weekly/Day.
WORK LOCATION
5 Manhattan West, NY, NY
COMPENSATION
$75,000.00 – $125,000.00
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
New York City Residency is not required for this position.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
See all H-1B Visa Mainframe Programmer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Mainframe Programmer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Mainframe Programmer
Document your COBOL experience precisely
Your resume should list specific mainframe environments, languages, and platforms you've worked on, such as COBOL, JCL, CICS, or DB2. Vague descriptions make specialty occupation harder for your employer to justify in the H-1B petition.
Target industries with legacy mainframe infrastructure
Financial services, insurance, healthcare payers, and federal contractors maintain large mainframe environments and file H-1B petitions regularly. Narrowing your search to these sectors increases the odds your prospective employer already has a sponsorship process in place.
Search verified H-1B sponsors on Migrate Mate
Filter by Mainframe Programmer roles on Migrate Mate to see employers with confirmed H-1B LCA filing history. This removes the guesswork of cold-applying to companies that don't sponsor.
Verify the prevailing wage before accepting an offer
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level I through Level IV prevailing wages for your SOC code and work location. Your offered salary must meet the applicable level, and knowing this protects you from underpayment before you sign.
Confirm employer E-Verify enrollment before your start date
If your offer extends through cap-gap, your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify for that authorization to remain valid. Ask your HR contact to confirm enrollment status before you rely on cap-gap to keep working past your OPT expiration.
Clarify who files and who pays petition fees
USCIS requires the employer to pay certain mandatory H-1B filing fees. Negotiate this explicitly in your offer letter. Some employers default to passing optional costs, like premium processing, to the employee, so spelling out each fee avoids disputes after you accept.
H-1B Visa Mainframe Programmer: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Mainframe Programmer role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. USCIS treats Mainframe Programmer positions as specialty occupations when the employer can show the role normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a closely related field. If your job description mixes general IT support with mainframe work, your employer should document that the mainframe duties are the primary function to avoid a Request for Evidence.
Which employers sponsor H-1B visas for Mainframe Programmers?
Banks, insurance companies, healthcare payers, and federal IT contractors are the most consistent H-1B sponsors for mainframe roles because they run large legacy COBOL and z/OS environments that require ongoing programmer support. Consulting firms that place mainframe contractors also sponsor regularly. You can browse employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history for this role on Migrate Mate.
How does the H-1B lottery affect a Mainframe Programmer job search?
If you're subject to the annual cap, your employer must register you in the USCIS lottery held each March. Selection is random. If you're not selected, your current status determines your options, including changing employers, switching to a different visa category, or waiting for the next registration window. Some mainframe roles at universities or nonprofit research institutions are cap-exempt and bypass the lottery entirely.
What happens to my H-1B status if my mainframe project ends mid-petition?
If your employer terminates you before your H-1B period ends, you have a 60-day grace period to find a new sponsoring employer, change status, or depart the U.S. A new employer can file an H-1B transfer petition during this window, and you can begin work once USCIS receives the petition. Keep copies of your original I-797 approval and pay stubs to smooth the transfer process.
Can I use an O*NET profile to support my H-1B specialty occupation argument?
Yes. The O*NET profile for Mainframe Programmer roles documents the typical education requirements and technical skill sets associated with the occupation. Employers and their attorneys sometimes reference O*NET in H-1B petitions to demonstrate that a bachelor's degree is the normal entry requirement for the position, which is one of the four ways USCIS evaluates specialty occupation status.