H-1B Visa Research Fellow Jobs
Research Fellow positions at U.S. universities, hospitals, and research institutes regularly sponsor H-1B visas, particularly for postdoctoral researchers and clinical investigators. Cap-exempt employers like nonprofits affiliated with higher education can file year-round, bypassing the annual lottery. Your specialty occupation status depends on demonstrating that the role requires a relevant advanced degree.
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Get Access To All JobsDepartment:
85035 Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Status:
Full time
Benefits Eligible:
Yes
Hours Per Week:
40
Schedule Details/Additional Information:
first shift
Pay Range:
$30.70 - $46.05
Research Fellow:
PhD required. Research involves characterizing the spatial and molecular architecture of the developing human brain and its disruption in neurodevelopmental and oncological contexts.
Our Commitment to You:
Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
Compensation
- Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
- Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
- Incentive pay for select positions
- Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Benefits and more
- Paid Time Off programs
- Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
- Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
- Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
- Educational Assistance Program
Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.
Research Fellow; PhD required
Department:
85035 Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Status:
Full time
Benefits Eligible:
Yes
Hours Per Week:
40
Schedule Details/Additional Information:
first shift
Pay Range:
$30.70 - $46.05
Research Fellow:
PhD required. Research involves characterizing the spatial and molecular architecture of the developing human brain and its disruption in neurodevelopmental and oncological contexts.
Our Commitment to You:
Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
Compensation
- Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
- Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
- Incentive pay for select positions
- Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Benefits and more
- Paid Time Off programs
- Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
- Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
- Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
- Educational Assistance Program
Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.
Research Fellow; PhD required
See all 655+ H-1B Visa Research Fellow Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Research Fellow Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Research Fellow
Verify your employer's cap-exempt status
Many research institutions, university-affiliated hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations qualify as cap-exempt employers, meaning they can file your H-1B petition any time without waiting for the April lottery window. Confirm this before accepting an offer.
Document your degree's direct relevance
USCIS scrutinizes Research Fellow petitions when your degree field doesn't map cleanly to the specific research area. Get a credential evaluation and prepare a detailed position description linking your doctorate directly to the proposed work.
Check prevailing wage using OFLC Wage Search
Research Fellow wage levels vary widely by institution type and location. Before negotiating your offer, look up the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work-site zip code using OFLC Wage Search so you know the minimum your employer must certify on the LCA.
Target employers with postdoc H-1B filing history
Use Migrate Mate to filter Research Fellow roles by employers who have filed H-1B LCAs for your occupation code. This surfaces labs and institutes that have already navigated the process, reducing the risk of an employer who's unfamiliar with the filing requirements.
Request O*NET classification in your offer letter
Ask your prospective employer to confirm which O*NET occupation code applies to your role before the LCA is filed. Misclassification between research and teaching codes is a common RFE trigger for Research Fellow petitions at universities.
Plan around the 60-day grace period between positions
If you're transitioning from one Research Fellow appointment to another, USCIS allows a 60-day grace period after your previous H-1B ends. Your new employer's H-1B petition must be filed, not just approved, before that window closes to maintain lawful status.
H-1B Visa Research Fellow: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Research Fellow positions qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B purposes?
Yes, provided the role requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. For most Research Fellow appointments, a master's or doctorate in the relevant scientific or clinical discipline satisfies this standard. USCIS will review the job duties and the degree requirement stated in the offer letter, so the position description needs to tie specific research tasks to your advanced degree field.
Can a university or hospital sponsor my H-1B as a Research Fellow without going through the lottery?
Many can. Universities, nonprofit research organizations, and hospitals affiliated with institutions of higher education are cap-exempt employers under the H-1B rules. That means they can file your petition at any time of year without competing for the 65,000 or 20,000 annual slots. You'll want to confirm your specific employer qualifies before relying on this pathway.
How do I find Research Fellow employers who actively sponsor H-1B visas?
Migrate Mate shows verified H-1B LCA filing history by employer and occupation code, so you can identify which research institutions and labs have filed for roles matching your field. This is more reliable than guessing based on employer size or reputation, since even well-funded labs sometimes lack H-1B experience for specific research tracks.
What happens to my H-1B status if my Research Fellow grant funding runs out mid-appointment?
If your employer can no longer pay the LCA-certified wage because funding ends, your H-1B status is at risk. The employer is legally required to notify USCIS and formally withdraw the petition. You then have the 60-day grace period to find a new sponsoring employer and have a new H-1B petition filed on your behalf before your status lapses.
Does my postdoctoral Research Fellow appointment count as H-1B-qualifying employment for future petitions?
Yes. Time spent on H-1B status as a Research Fellow counts toward your six-year H-1B maximum and, if your employer or a future employer files an I-140 immigrant petition, toward priority date preservation under AC21 portability rules. Keep copies of all approval notices, pay stubs, and W-2s from every H-1B appointment as documentation for future filings.