Cap-exempt H-1B employers

Petitions from these employers are not subject to the annual H-1B numerical cap. No lottery, and a petition can be filed on any day of the year. 21,646 employers match one of the statutory categories.

What makes an employer cap-exempt

INA 214(g)(5) exempts four categories: (A) institutions of higher education, (B) nonprofit entities related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, (C) nonprofit research organizations, and (D) governmental research organizations.

A common misconception

A K-12 public school district is a political subdivision, not an institution of higher education, so it is not automatically cap-exempt. Some districts do qualify under category (B) through a written affiliation agreement with a university. Ask the district directly whether such an agreement exists.

Largest cap-exempt sponsors

• UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN — 3,567 approvals, ANN ARBOR, MI
• MAYO CLINIC — 3,340 approvals, ROCHESTER, MN
• YALE UNIVERSITY — 2,555 approvals, NEW HAVEN, CT
• BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE — 2,518 approvals, HOUSTON, TX
• UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA — 2,502 approvals, GAINESVILLE, FL
• UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH — 2,433 approvals, PITTSBURGH, PA
• UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA — 2,378 approvals, PHILADELPHIA, PA
• CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION — 2,364 approvals, CLEVELAND, OH
• JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — 2,338 approvals, BALTIMORE, MD
• THE LELAND STANFORD JR UNIVERSITY — 2,326 approvals, STANFORD, CA
• COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY — 2,266 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA — 2,064 approvals, IOWA CITY, IA
• HARVARD UNIVERSITY — 2,007 approvals, CAMBRIDGE, MA
• NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — 1,876 approvals, EVANSTON, IL
• UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — 1,789 approvals, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
• UNIV OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO — 1,781 approvals, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• EMORY UNIV — 1,739 approvals, ATLANTA, GA
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND — 1,674 approvals, COLLEGE PARK, MD
• THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO — 1,665 approvals, CHICAGO, IL
• UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON — 1,623 approvals, SEATTLE, WA
• UT BATTELLE LLC ORNL — 1,606 approvals, OAK RIDGE, TN
• DUKE UNIV UNIV MED CTR & AFFIL INS — 1,598 approvals, DURHAM, NC
• STANFORD UNIV — 1,582 approvals, STANFORD, CA
• UNIV OF MICHIGAN — 1,566 approvals, ANN ARBOR, MI
• MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CE — 1,555 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• WASHINGTON UNIV IN ST LOUIS — 1,555 approvals, ST LOUIS, MO
• THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY — 1,551 approvals, COLUMBUS, OH
• HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE — 1,518 approvals, CHEVY CHASE, MD
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY — 1,518 approvals, BERKELEY, CA
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — 1,508 approvals, LOS ANGELES, CA
• THE UNIV OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM — 1,441 approvals, BIRMINGHAM, AL
• UNIV OF PENNSYLVANIA — 1,380 approvals, PHILADELPHIA, PA
• MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY — 1,354 approvals, EAST LANSING, MI
• THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIV — 1,339 approvals, PRINCETON, NJ
• RUTGERS THE STATE UNIV OF NJ — 1,317 approvals, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
• WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE — 1,306 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY — 1,300 approvals, COLLEGE STATION, TX
• COLUMBIA UNIV — 1,292 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE — 1,233 approvals, BOSTON, MA
• BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE — 1,214 approvals, RICHLAND, WA
• CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY — 1,209 approvals, PASADENA, CA
• UNIV OF MINNESOTA — 1,188 approvals, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
• HARVARD UNIV — 1,181 approvals, CAMBRIDGE, MA
• UCHICAGO ARGONNE LLC — 1,180 approvals, LEMONT, IL
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS — 1,142 approvals, DAVIS, CA
• INDIANA UNIVERSITY — 1,140 approvals, BLOOMINGTON, IN
• UNIVERSITY OF UTAH — 1,134 approvals, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
• YALE UNIV — 1,132 approvals, NEW HAVEN, CT
• NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH/HHS — 1,132 approvals, BETHESDA, MD
• THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV — 1,116 approvals, UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
• EMORY UNIVERSITY — 1,105 approvals, ATLANTA, GA
• CLEVELAND CLINIC — 1,090 approvals, CLEVELAND, OH
• TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY — 1,069 approvals, BOSTON, MA
• THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY — 1,053 approvals, UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
• LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LAB — 1,047 approvals, BERKELEY, CA
• UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA — 1,046 approvals, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
• WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS — 1,041 approvals, SAINT LOUIS, MO
• TEMPLE UNIVERSITY — 1,031 approvals, PHILADELPHIA, PA
• UNIV OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES — 1,020 approvals, LOS ANGELES, CA
• UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY — 1,009 approvals, LEXINGTON, KY
• MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECHNOLOGY — 1,004 approvals, CAMBRIDGE, MA
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO — 988 approvals, LA JOLLA, CA
• JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV — 964 approvals, BALTIMORE, MD
• ST JUDE CHILDREN S RESEARCH HOSP — 964 approvals, MEMPHIS, TN
• THE UNIV OF TX MD ANDERSON CANCER — 953 approvals, HOUSTON, TX
• CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV — 936 approvals, CLEVELAND, OH
• THE OHIO STATE UNIV — 935 approvals, COLUMBUS, OH
• UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER — 933 approvals, DALLAS, TX
• PURDUE UNIVERSITY — 930 approvals, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
• GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY — 930 approvals, ATLANTA, GA
• UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN — 928 approvals, LINCOLN, NE
• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO — 922 approvals, CHICAGO, IL
• UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER — 922 approvals, ROCHESTER, NY
• UNIV OF WI SYSTEM/MADISON — 922 approvals, MADISON, WI
• THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN — 920 approvals, AUSTIN, TX
• NEW YORK UNIVERSITY — 918 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• UNIV OF NC AT CHAPEL HILL — 910 approvals, CHAPEL HILL, NC
• NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE — 891 approvals, NEW YORK, NY
• ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY — 875 approvals, TEMPE, AZ
• ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT — 870 approvals, NEW YORK, NY

Cap-exempt status is determined by the petitioning employer and their counsel, not by this site. These flags indicate only that an employer resembles a statutory category.