Head of Development Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship

Head of Development roles qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B visa, requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, engineering, or a closely related field. Employers filing an LCA must certify prevailing wage compliance before sponsorship begins. No lottery exemptions apply, but cap-exempt institutions do exist.

Find Head of Development Jobs

Overview

Open Jobs2,462+
Top Visa TypeH-1B
Work Type77% On-site
Top LocationRemote
Most JobsAutoZone

Showing 5 of 2,462+ Head of Development jobs

Head of Domain, Technology Development
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Added 5d ago
Head of Domain, Technology Development
Geotab
Atlanta, Georgia
Product Management
Strategy & Corporate Development
Project & Program Management
Human Resources
Business Strategy
Project Management
$200k - $250k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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SVP, Head of Development Practices & AI Product Development Lifecycle
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Added 1w ago
SVP, Head of Development Practices & AI Product Development Lifecycle
LPL Financial
Austin, Texas
Executive Leadership & C-Suite
Product Management
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Project & Program Management
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Technical Program Management
Project Management
$240k - $290k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
5,001-10,000

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Global Business Development - Head of US Carrier & Global Bundles and Segmentation Partnerships
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Added 1w ago
Global Business Development - Head of US Carrier & Global Bundles and Segmentation Partnerships
Apple
Culver City, California
Partnerships & Business Development
Project & Program Management
Business Development
Project Management
Program Management
$222k - $334k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Business Development Head
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Added 1w ago
Business Development Head
ASM
Phoenix, Arizona
Partnerships & Business Development
Project & Program Management
Product Management
Sales
Business Development
Project Management
On-Site
Master's
1,001-5,000

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Global Head of Platform Technology Development
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Added 1w ago
Global Head of Platform Technology Development
Genentech
San Francisco, California
Specialized Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Engineering (Non-Software)
Robotics Engineering
Cloud Engineering
Data Science
$262k - $486k/yr
On-Site
Master's
10,000+

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Tips for Finding Head of Development Jobs

Document your specialty occupation case early

Head of Development sits at the intersection of technical leadership and product strategy. Gather degree transcripts, organizational charts showing your direct reports, and project scope documentation that proves a specialized degree underpins your day-to-day decisions, not just general management experience.

Verify prevailing wage before negotiating offers

Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your location and role. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level III or IV wage for your metro area before you enter salary discussions, so there are no compliance surprises post-offer.

Target cap-exempt employers to skip the lottery

Universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government research organizations can file H-1B petitions outside the annual cap and lottery. Head of Development roles at university tech transfers or nonprofit labs are legitimate pathways if you can't afford to wait for a lottery slot.

Use Migrate Mate to find verified sponsoring employers

Many companies list senior development leadership roles without disclosing sponsorship history upfront. Migrate Mate surfaces employers with verified LCA filing history by role type, so you spend your applications on companies that have actually sponsored Head of Development positions before.

Prepare for specialty occupation RFEs on leadership roles

USCIS increasingly issues Requests for Evidence when a Head of Development role emphasizes managerial duties over technical ones. Build a detailed position description that quantifies the percentage of time spent on architecture decisions, code review oversight, and technical hiring versus administrative tasks.

Align your PERM labor certification timeline with your priority date

If your employer plans to sponsor you for a green card via EB-2 or EB-3, PERM labor certification typically takes 12 to 18 months before an I-140 petition can be filed. Starting PERM early in your H-1B tenure protects your place in the priority date queue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Head of Development role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?

Yes, provided the position genuinely requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific technical field such as computer science, software engineering, or information systems. Roles framed primarily as people management without a technical degree requirement can face USCIS scrutiny. Your employer's job description must tie day-to-day duties to that specialized body of knowledge, not just general organizational leadership.

What degree background do most sponsoring employers require for this role?

Most Head of Development postings that lead to H-1B sponsorship require a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related STEM field. Some employers accept an MBA combined with an undergraduate technical degree for more product-focused variants of the role. A degree in business administration alone, without a technical undergraduate foundation, often struggles to satisfy the specialty occupation standard that USCIS applies.

How do I find employers actively sponsoring Head of Development positions?

Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship histories for senior development and technical leadership roles, so you can focus your search on companies that have filed for comparable positions. Filtering by role seniority and location lets you identify which markets have the most active sponsorship activity for this title.

How does the H-1B lottery affect my chances of getting sponsored for this role?

Head of Development roles are cap-subject unless your employer qualifies as cap-exempt. That means your petition enters the annual H-1B lottery, which has seen selection rates well below 50% in recent years. Employers sponsoring at this seniority level often apply for premium processing to accelerate adjudication once selected. Candidates with a U.S. master's degree enter the advanced-degree pool, which receives priority selection before the regular cap pool.

Can my employer use O*NET to support the specialty occupation argument?

Yes, and many do. O*NET classifies software and application development managers under a job zone that typically requires a four-year degree, which strengthens the argument that the Head of Development role meets the specialty occupation threshold. Your employer's attorney will often reference the O*NET occupation profile alongside internal job description evidence when responding to any USCIS Request for Evidence about whether the position truly requires a specialized degree.

What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Head of Development 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.

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