Indian employees or students who wish to work or study in the US need to fulfil certain financial requirements in order to obtain visas. With new reforms being introduced to the H-1B visa programme, Indian talent also needs to understand various visa rules, procedures and requirements.
US employers can hire foreign workers in specialty occupations through the H-1B visa programme. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the specific duties of the offered position are so specialised, complex or unique that the knowledge required to perform them is associated with the attainment of a US bachelor's or higher degree. While H-1B visa is very common, L1 visas are those where employees are temporarily transferred within a company and O visas are those where people with extraordinary ability or achievement travel to the US. Mostly, employees must petition for the O visa on the employee's behalf.
Financial requirements:
Experts point out that there is no specific minimum bank balance required, but it is suggested that they have enough funds to support their stay until they take up the requirement job. It is also suggested that they provide evidence such as bank statements and employment contracts apart from other documents.
Bank statements: At least 6 months or more as it will help demonstrate a stable income of the employee
Sponsorship: In case if there is any sponsor who is providing financial support- be it for students or employees, the sponsor needs to provide proper documents (including bank statements) that can prove their ability to support them (students/employees).
Property ownership: In some cases, documents that prove ownership of any property in home country can show strong ties and that provide a reason for the applicants return to the home country after the US stay.
As per the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, during the registration period in FY2026 for H-1B cap, it saw a significant decrease. The number of eligible unique beneficiaries was about 3,39,000 compared to 4,42,000 in FY 2025. While H-1B general filing fee costs about $215 per beneficiary, F-1 visa (student visa) application fee costs about $185.
In case of F-1 student visa, it is recommended that students show bank statements that cover at least one full year of tuition and also living expenses. While tuition fees differ from one university to the other, the estimated cost might fall between Rs 30 and Rs 50 lakh.
For entrepreneurs, those who own a majority stake in their companies can self-petition for H-1B visas under stricter conditions, allowing them to pursue their business ventures more freely.