These are the 20 startups that sponsor the most H-1B visas, for immigrants looking to work at pre-IPO companies
- With grit and a bit of luck, startups are using the H-1B visa program to hire foreign workers.
- Insider compiled a list of the venture-backed companies that sponsor the most H-1B visas.
- The top three startups were Stripe, ByteDance, and Rivian, with 440 H-1B visa holders on staff.
It's no secret. Immigrants are the economic engine of America's startups.
But in order for a startup to hire a foreign worker, it must sponsor their petition for an H-1B visa, which lets them work in the country for up to six years. The job candidate gets entered into a yearly lottery for one of 85,000 visas.
The visa is not guaranteed, but some of the top startups have used the program to employ international talent.
To find those startups, Insider compiled a list using data from the US Office of Foreign Labor Certification, and then sorted which venture-backed, private companies have hired the most foreign workers since the start of 2020.
The vast majority of visa applicants used the H1-B program, but the H1-B1 program, which serves Chilean and Singaporean nationals, and the E-3 program, which serves Australian nationals, were also included.
Are you a foreign-born startup worker with a story to share? Contact the author Melia Russell by email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or ask for her Signal number. Open DMs on Twitter @meliarobin.
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
Total funding: $790 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 36
"The H-1B program is vital to innovation and growth, and is a huge benefit to US workers, businesses, and the economy as a whole," Sai Jahann, TripActions' general counsel, said.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $480 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 37
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $692 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 39
Headquarters: Chicago
Total funding: $247 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 41
"In our commitment to finding the best talent to deliver on our promises to our partners, we work hard with government agencies focused on supporting those individuals interested in working in the US," Chris Armsey, Amount's chief people and communications officer, said.
Headquarters: New York
Total funding: $2.5 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 47
"At Better, we strive to hire diverse employees that represent our customers. We look for those who have hustle, grit and are dedicated to serving customers," a spokesperson told Insider.
Headquarters: Mountain View, California
Total funding: $1.5 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 48
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $1.5 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 49
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $918 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 51
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
Total funding: $1 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 52
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $856 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 60
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $2.7 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 72
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Total funding: $2.6 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 79
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: more than $500 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 84
"Thumbtack has always invested in hiring team members through the H-1B visa program," Jelena Djordjevic, Thumbtack's head of people, said. "Now, as a virtual first company, our team has the flexibility to choose where they live and work. As we grow, we are excited to broaden access to opportunities at Thumbtack. "
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
Total funding: $927 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 91
Headquarters: San Francisco
Total funding: $1.9 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 94
Headquarters: Plantation, Florida
Total funding: $3.5 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 112
Headquarters: Atlanta
Total funding: $920 million
H-1B visas sponsored: 115
"Our growth and success is thanks to our ability to hire an incredible global team regardless of where they live," Kabir Barday, founder and CEO of OneTrust, said in a statement.
Headquarters: San Francisco and Dublin, Ireland
Total funding: $2.2 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 145
US offices: Seattle; Mountain View, San Diego, Los Angeles, Culver City, California; New York; Austin; Ashburn, Virginia; Miami; Chicago; and Washington, D.C.
Total funding: $14.5 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 293
Headquarters: Irvine, California
Total funding: $11.2 billion
H-1B visas sponsored: 440