H1B Denied: Master’s Degree Ruins Techie’s Dreams

For many international students, a master’s degree is supposed to be an advantage. But it turned out to be a dealbreaker for an employer in the US.

Taking to social media, a techie shared how a company backed out of H-1B sponsorship, claiming they couldn’t meet the prevailing wage because the candidate had a master’s degree. At first, it all seemed fine, but after consulting with an attorney, they decided they couldn’t proceed with the hiring.

However, netizens reacted to the post and claimed it doesn’t matter what the applicant’s qualifications are, if the job doesn’t require a master’s, the prevailing wage level stays at 1. Some advised the H-1B aspirant to consult an immigration attorney on their own.

The techie shared that this was the company’s first international hiring. This led many people to believe that the employer is getting cold feet and is now backing out to avoid any legal or political trouble.

It is hard to judge whether the employer misunderstood the law or just didn’t want to sponsor an H-1B visa for the techie. But one thing is certain— a deserving candidate got cheated out of a job because of the complicated system.