By: Derek Loosvelt
With the 2026 H-1B visa lottery behind us, we spoke with international student expert Marcelo Barros about this year’s lottery results vs. last year’s, his recommendations for students who didn’t win an H-1B this year, the future of the lottery, and more. Below is an edited excerpt of our conversation.
Vault: First off, how did this year’s H-1B filing season compare to last year’s?
Barros: The total H-1B registration numbers were down this year. And because of that, overall selection rates were up significantly—fewer registrations meant better odds. So, a larger than normal number of international students who joined the H-1B lottery became winners and now will have a chance to work in the U.S. after graduation through H-1B sponsorship. However, while this might seem like good news, it’s important to note that relying solely on the H-1B lottery is still a gamble—but often the only viable U.S. employment path for international students with limited work experience and accomplishments.
Vault: If that’s the case, then what, if anything, can students who were not selected in the recent H-1B lottery do now if they want to work in the U.S. post-graduation?
Barros: As is always the case, if you weren’t selected in the H-1B lottery, it’s important to take a deep breath, think clearly, and then pivot quickly and intelligently. Many students incorrectly assume that not being selected equals failure. Unlucky H-1B lottery participants may be able to explore the usual alternative options such as: STEM OPT extensions (if eligible), cap-exempt employers (universities, nonprofits), alternative visas (like O-1, depending on your profile), and global roles with U.S.-connected companies.
Also, I always like to remind students that if they’re running out of time in the U.S., they can try asking their employers if there’s a chance they can keep their jobs and work from another country. This could be the student’s home country (often the easiest path) or another country. And then, of course, depending on how things evolve, there may be opportunities to relocate back to the U.S. at a later time.
Vault: Given the new H-1B visa selection rules—lottery participants who command higher salaries are now given greater odds of securing H-1B visas—how should international students adjust their job-search strategies?
Barros: When possible, successful international students should diversify their pipelines early instead of reacting late. That said, I do think that the basics still apply. When speaking with international students at U.S. universities, I still find it important to remind them that they must be very focused and that applying broadly might not be smart. Specifically, I remind international students of the following three pillars:
- Precision over volume. Instead of 200 random applications, target 20 to 30 roles where your background truly strongly aligns.
- Story-driven positioning. Clearly communicate how the value you can create for U.S. companies is enabled by skills and experiences you developed prior to coming to the U.S. The skills, results, and unique global perspective of international students matter more than visa status, and I like to see international students job searching with a measure of success, authority, and power that they’re entitled to have.
- Networking as a primary channel. A majority of successful international hires come through referrals, not cold applications. International students must continue to reach out to their international alumni and beyond, attend industry events, and initiate informational interviews weekly. They should treat networking as part of their jobs, like physical activity, and not an optional activity.
Vault: Under the new visa allocation rules, are there certain types of employers more open to international candidates?
Barros: This is a very interesting and important question that may take a few years for us to get a better understanding of. It has always been the case that not all employers approach sponsorship the same way, and understanding this reality can create a major competitive advantage for international students if they’re able to identify visa-friendly firms in their sector of choice.
What we at The International Advantage recently found is that even in cases where the $100,000 H-1B fee does not apply, employers, particularly mid-size and smaller firms, decided—out of fear, I think—to reassess their participation in the H-1B lottery. We heard something like this from many employers who have always sponsored: “I pay an entry-level salary for my international worker who’s now on OPT, and since the lottery now favors workers with higher wages, I don’t think it’s worth trying. I’m not going to bother.” Sadly, this was a self-imposed limitation that some employers we work with put on themselves this past year.
That said, in general, more promising employer categories include:
- Large multinational companies with established immigration processes
- Cap-exempt organizations (universities, research institutions) that you don’t need to join the lottery to secure an H-1B visa with
- Consulting and tech firms with global mobility programs will continue to hire international students
- Startups open to international talent (especially if you bring hard-to-find, niche skills)
It’s also important for international students to continue to do their research before applying. Look at past sponsorship data, employee backgrounds, and company hiring patterns. And, of course, don’t waste energy on employers unlikely to sponsor.
Vault: What’s the biggest mistake international students typically make during H-1B season?
Barros: International students continue to focus too much on visas—and not enough on their value. Forget this visa conversation and ask yourself: “What value can I offer U.S. employers that American candidates can’t match?” International students don’t get hired because they don’t know visa stuff; international students do get hired because they solve a problem better than other applicants.
It’s really hard to get international students to change this mindset, though. I don’t want to be speaking with international students about visas, yet that’s often what they want to learn about. Instead, a change of mindset should include:
- Moving from “Will they sponsor me?” to “Why would they choose me?”
- Building a compelling narrative around your impact
- Developing in-demand differentiating skills
Vault: Any final thoughts or recommendations for international students who dream of landing great jobs in the U.S.?
Barros: It’s important for international students to take full ownership of aspects of their job search such as building skills, crafting their international advantage story, and targeting opportunities with intention, while taking care of their mental health along the way. There’s much talk in the U.S. right now related to visa delays, policy uncertainty, drop in the number of H-1B applications, how the new H-1B allocation method hurts entry-level workers, etc., and there’s much unnecessary speculation about of what all of that may mean. Be smart and shut down the noise. That’s really what we try to do at The International Advantage. We ask international students to do the same. Success isn’t about beating the lottery odds or even joining the lottery. When international students become the candidates employers don’t want to miss, visas often take care of themselves, and then I’ll hear, “Marcelo, the visa stuff was not an issue at all.”
Finally, going forward, while the impact of AI on entry-level jobs is very real, I remain very optimistic about the odds of international students to secure great jobs in the U.S. after graduation. It’s a fact that the new selection method of H-1B visa favors workers already in the U.S.—and, often, that means international students. As of early 2026, immigration firms across the U.S. have largely reported a huge drop in H-1B applications for Indian IT firms. And that means more available H-1B visas for our international students—isn’t that amazing news?
Marcelo Barros is the author of The International Advantage: Get Noticed. Get Hired!, which gives international students advice on how to find the job they want in the U.S. Universities interested in partnering with Barros to prepare their new, incoming class of international students to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation should get in touch with the author to book their Fall job search programs. And International students interested in landing a great job in the U.S. should follow The International Advantage via LinkedIn.
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Originally published on vault.com
