Api Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
API engineer roles qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B visa, E-3 visa, and H-1B1 visas, since employers consistently require a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field. Demand from tech, fintech, and enterprise software companies makes this one of the more actively sponsored engineering titles in the U.S. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
We are looking for an experienced API Gateway Engineer with strong hands-on experience in IBM API Connect (APIC) and Kong Gateway. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in API management, API security, gateway configuration, and enterprise application integration.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Design, develop, configure, and manage APIs using IBM API Connect (APIC) and Kong Gateway.
- Implement API security policies, including OAuth 2.0, JWT, API keys, and authentication.
- Configure API routing, rate limiting, throttling, and request/response transformations.
- Manage API lifecycle, including development, deployment, versioning, and monitoring.
- Integrate APIs with backend applications and microservices.
- Troubleshoot API Gateway issues and optimize API performance.
- Work with development, DevOps, and architecture teams on API integration initiatives.
- Support API deployments across development, QA, and production environments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 8–12 years of overall IT experience.
- Strong hands-on experience with IBM API Connect (APIC).
- Experience with Kong API Gateway.
- Strong understanding of REST APIs and API Management.
- Knowledge of OAuth 2.0, JWT, API security, and authentication.
- Experience with API policies, routing, rate limiting, and traffic management.
- Understanding of microservices and enterprise integrations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with Kubernetes and Docker.
- Knowledge of AWS or Azure.
- Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins and Git.
- Familiarity with API monitoring tools such as Splunk and Grafana.
- Experience with IBM DataPower is a plus.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
A hands-on API Gateway professional who has implemented and supported enterprise API management solutions using IBM API Connect and Kong, with strong knowledge of API security, integration, and gateway architecture.
INTRODUCTION
We are looking for an experienced API Gateway Engineer with strong hands-on experience in IBM API Connect (APIC) and Kong Gateway. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in API management, API security, gateway configuration, and enterprise application integration.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Design, develop, configure, and manage APIs using IBM API Connect (APIC) and Kong Gateway.
- Implement API security policies, including OAuth 2.0, JWT, API keys, and authentication.
- Configure API routing, rate limiting, throttling, and request/response transformations.
- Manage API lifecycle, including development, deployment, versioning, and monitoring.
- Integrate APIs with backend applications and microservices.
- Troubleshoot API Gateway issues and optimize API performance.
- Work with development, DevOps, and architecture teams on API integration initiatives.
- Support API deployments across development, QA, and production environments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 8–12 years of overall IT experience.
- Strong hands-on experience with IBM API Connect (APIC).
- Experience with Kong API Gateway.
- Strong understanding of REST APIs and API Management.
- Knowledge of OAuth 2.0, JWT, API security, and authentication.
- Experience with API policies, routing, rate limiting, and traffic management.
- Understanding of microservices and enterprise integrations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with Kubernetes and Docker.
- Knowledge of AWS or Azure.
- Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins and Git.
- Familiarity with API monitoring tools such as Splunk and Grafana.
- Experience with IBM DataPower is a plus.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
A hands-on API Gateway professional who has implemented and supported enterprise API management solutions using IBM API Connect and Kong, with strong knowledge of API security, integration, and gateway architecture.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as an Api Engineer
Frame your API work as specialty occupation
Your resume should name specific protocols, architectures, and frameworks you've built with, REST, GraphQL, gRPC, OpenAPI specs. Vague titles like 'backend developer' invite RFEs; precise technical scope ties your role directly to a degree-requiring specialty.
Check prevailing wages before negotiating offers
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for your location and experience level before you discuss compensation. Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above that threshold, so knowing it in advance prevents offer gaps that delay filing.
Target companies with active LCA filing history
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with verified API or software engineering LCA filings. Companies already in the DOL system are operationally ready to sponsor, you spend less time educating HR and more time moving toward an offer.
Distinguish between H-1B and cap-exempt paths
If you're already in H-1B status with another employer, your new API engineer employer can file a transfer petition and you can start working once it's received, no lottery slot needed. Universities and nonprofits affiliated with higher education are also cap-exempt, worth targeting if you're not yet in status.
Prepare your degree equivalency documentation early
If your computer science or engineering degree is from outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-member service before you're under offer pressure. Some employers won't initiate an LCA until equivalency is confirmed, which can add weeks to your timeline.
Align your O*NET profile to your actual duties
O*NET lists API and web service development tasks under software developer and software quality assurance occupations. When your job description mirrors the task language in those profiles, the specialty occupation argument in your petition becomes significantly cleaner and harder to challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an API engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes. API engineering consistently qualifies because employers require at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or information systems, the degree must be directly related to the role. USCIS looks at the job duties and the industry norm. When your job description specifies design, versioning, security, and integration of APIs, the specialty occupation standard is straightforward to meet.
Which visas can sponsor an API engineer role?
H-1B is the most common path and covers all nationalities. Australian citizens can use the E-3, which has a 10,500-slot annual cap that has never been exhausted and doesn't require a lottery. Chilean and Singaporean nationals can use the H-1B1 visa, which also avoids the annual lottery. All three require a certified LCA from DOL and a specialty occupation job offer before you apply.
How do I find employers actively sponsoring API engineer visas?
Migrate Mate shows employers with verified LCA filing history for software and API engineering roles, searchable by city and job type. This lets you focus your applications on companies that have already demonstrated willingness and operational capacity to sponsor, rather than approaching employers who may be unfamiliar with the process.
Does my degree field matter, or is any computer science degree sufficient?
The degree must be in a field directly related to the role. Computer science, software engineering, information systems, and electrical engineering all support an API engineer petition cleanly. A degree in an unrelated field, even paired with years of experience, creates specialty occupation risk. If your degree field is adjacent rather than direct, your employer's immigration counsel will need to build a theoretical basis argument, which invites additional USCIS scrutiny.
What happens to my work authorization if my H-1B employer rescinds the offer after filing?
If the petition has been filed and approved, your status is tied to that employer. You have a 60-day grace period after involuntary termination to find a new H-1B sponsor, change status, or depart. A new employer can file a transfer petition and you can begin working once USCIS receives it, no need to wait for approval. USCIS governs these rules, and the 60-day window doesn't apply if you resign voluntarily.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Api Engineer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.