H-1B Visa Regulatory Affairs Jobs
Regulatory Affairs roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in life sciences, pharmacy, or a related technical field. Employers in pharma, biotech, and medical devices file LCAs with the DOL before sponsoring, and many actively recruit internationally trained RA professionals.
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Company Description
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
The Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs US & Canada Strategy Lead is responsible for the development and implementation of US and Canada regulatory strategic and tactical planning (RSTP) for assigned on market products or those products in development. The Senior Manager assures that regulatory strategies defined within the GRPT, are effectively implemented and maintained in line with changing regulatory and business needs. This individual identifies and gathers data needed to support filings, responses to inquiries, and registration maintenance to enable commercialization of products that are developed, manufactured or distributed to meet relevant US and Canada regulatory requirements.
Responsibilities:
- Responsible for a product(s) or products with multiple driver indications within a Therapeutic Area and supports manager and/or Global Regulatory Lead (GRL) in the development & execution of the regulatory strategy. Assigned matters may have a moderate impact on business activities and operations.
- Serves as Health Authority (HA) liaison and interfaces with FDA for meetings, teleconferences and coordinates preparation and completion of FDA meeting briefing packages and responses.
- Advise internal customers who may contribute to regulated communication on Regulatory/FDA issues including Public Affairs, Clinical Development, Legal, and others such as Commercial.
- Functions independently in negotiation and decision-making for project related issues that have cross-functional impact.
- May assist in the training of junior staff members.
- Key contributor responsible for the preparation and review of regulatory submissions consistent within US and Canada regulatory requirements and guidelines and assures complete and timely response to Health Authorities during application review.
- Supports the regulatory submission and approval process. Broadly applies regulatory/technical knowledge of government regulations and skills across therapeutic areas.
- Recommends and implements changes to difficult projects based on knowledge and expertise, accurate interpretation of US and Canada government regulations, guidances, as well as corporate policies and management-related considerations.
- Presents pertinent regulatory information to appropriate cross-functional areas.
- Operates in compliance with regulations, company policies, procedures, and guidance in alignment with regulatory product strategy and the Quality Dossier Program (QDP).
- Significant Work Activities: Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hr day) is required.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree (e.g. PharmD, PhD, MS) or Regulatory certification with minimum 5 years Regulatory, R&D, or equivalent industry-related experience.
- Preferred: Advanced Degree and/or Certifications or direct experience with pharmaceutical regulatory activities.
- Demonstrates excellent negotiation skills, problem solving skills and builds consensus.
- Demonstrates effective communication skills in written and oral channels both within Regulatory and across the organization. Able to deliver challenging messages effectively without compromising important business relationships.
- Proven skill at implementing successful affiliate regulatory strategies (US or Canada experience preferred).
- Experience working in a complex and matrix environment.
- Experience interfacing with government regulatory agencies.
- Global regulatory experience is a plus.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
See all 239+ H-1B Visa Regulatory Affairs Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Regulatory Affairs
Align your degree to FDA submission work
USCIS scrutinizes whether your degree field directly supports the specific RA duties in the job description. A chemistry or biology degree paired with regulatory coursework strengthens specialty occupation arguments far more than a general science background.
Search LCA filings before applying anywhere
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers by verified DOL LCA filing history in Regulatory Affairs. This surfaces companies that have already demonstrated H-1B sponsorship intent for this job code, cutting your search time significantly.
Target employers with dedicated RA departments
Standalone RA departments at mid-size pharma and Class II medical device companies sponsor more consistently than generalist consulting firms. O*NET classifies Regulatory Affairs Specialists under SOC 13-1041, which you can cross-reference against OFLC disclosure data.
Negotiate LCA filing into your offer timeline
The DOL must certify your LCA before USCIS receives the I-129 petition. Ask your employer to begin the LCA at least three weeks before your intended start date so certification doesn't delay your H-1B effective date.
Document foreign regulatory experience for RFEs
If you've worked with EMA, Health Canada, or TGA submissions, get official employer letters specifying submission types and your exact role. USCIS RFEs on RA petitions frequently challenge whether non-U.S. experience maps to the specialty occupation standard.
Verify your employer's E-Verify enrollment status
H-1B employers must be E-Verify participants to request cap-exempt processing through certain institutions or to rehire H-1B workers portably. Confirm enrollment before your final offer acceptance, not after signing.
H-1B Visa Regulatory Affairs: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Regulatory Affairs job qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Regulatory Affairs Specialist roles require theoretical and practical application of life sciences, pharmacy, chemistry, or engineering knowledge at the bachelor's degree level or higher. USCIS has approved H-1B petitions for RA roles across pharma, biotech, and medical device sectors. The employer's job description must specify degree requirements that are directly related to RA duties, not just broadly preferred.
Which industries sponsor H-1B visas most often for Regulatory Affairs professionals?
Pharmaceutical manufacturers, biologics companies, Class II and Class III medical device firms, and CROs file the largest volume of H-1B LCAs for Regulatory Affairs roles. Biotech startups preparing for IND or NDA submissions also sponsor frequently because RA expertise is scarce domestically. You can browse employers with active H-1B filing history for this role category on Migrate Mate.
What happens to my H-1B status if my employer loses an FDA contract or restructures the RA team?
You have a 60-day grace period after involuntary termination to find new H-1B sponsorship, change to another status, or depart the U.S. Under AC21 portability rules, if your I-140 has been approved and your I-485 has been pending for 180 days or more, you can port to a same or similar RA role with a new employer without losing your priority date.
How does the prevailing wage requirement affect H-1B sponsorship for Regulatory Affairs roles?
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for the RA job title, level, and work location. Prevailing wages are set at four wage levels based on experience and complexity. You can look up the applicable wage yourself using the OFLC Wage Search before negotiations. Employers who underpay relative to the certified LCA wage risk DOL audit and back-pay liability.
Can I transfer my H-1B to a new Regulatory Affairs employer mid-sponsorship?
Yes. H-1B portability lets you start working for a new H-1B employer as soon as the new I-129 petition is filed, not after approval. The new role must be in the same or a substantially similar RA occupational classification. Your new employer files a new LCA and I-129; you don't restart the lottery. This makes lateral moves within RA feasible without status gaps.