H-1B Filing in Dallas — 2026 Employer Guide (Lawyer, Transfer, Petition & Fees)

Dallas ranks #11 nationally with 3,094 H-1B petitions in FY 2026 Q2. Dallas anchors the DFW H-1B corridor alongside Plano, Irving, and Frisco — telecom, finance, IT consulting, airlines tech, and corporate HQ hiring. This guide covers lottery registration, LCA certification, Form I-129 filing, prevailing wage for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, document checklists, and government fees for Dallas, TX employers.

Dallas H-1B market snapshot

Leading H-1B sponsors in Dallas

Major employers filing H-1B LCAs and petitions in the Dallas market include:

Top sponsored roles in Dallas

Industries driving Dallas H-1B demand

• Telecommunications
• Finance
• IT consulting
• Airlines tech
• Energy tech
• Healthcare

Dallas employer landscape

Dallas proper mixes consulting and finance LCAs (Deloitte, EY, Goldman) with telecom and semiconductor employers in the urban core. DFW employers must list the actual Dallas worksite on the LCA — Plano and Irving campuses use separate wage determinations even within the same metro.

H-1B filing for Dallas universities

UT Southwestern Medical Center and DFW research campuses sponsor specialty-occupation professionals alongside telecom, finance, and IT consulting employers. Cap-exempt university and research paths sit next to lottery-subject corporate HQs in Dallas, Plano, and Irving. Top national universities in the Dallas area include UT Southwestern Medical Center, Southern Methodist University. Qualifying institutions may file cap-exempt H-1B petitions year-round without lottery registration.

• UT Southwestern and qualifying research employers may file cap-exempt H-1B petitions year-round
• Most private DFW employers (telecom, finance, consulting) remain lottery-subject
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA prevailing wage applies across Dallas, Plano, and Irving worksites
• Hospital and university affiliates need careful cap-status review before registration

Prevailing wage and LCA requirements

• File Form ETA-9035 through DOL FLAG for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX worksite.
• Pay the higher of prevailing wage or actual wage paid to similar U.S. workers.
• Post LCA notice to employees in the occupational classification.
• Maintain a Public Access File (PAF) for each certified LCA.
• Las Colinas, Uptown, Plano, and Irving campuses need distinct LCA worksite addresses under the DFW MSA.
• IT consulting and third-party placements need client letters and clear employer–employee control evidence.
• UT Southwestern and qualifying research sponsors may file cap-exempt; most private DFW employers remain lottery-subject.

FY 2027 cap registration and wage-weighted selection

Cap-subject Dallas employers must register during March 4–19, 2026 and pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary. USCIS uses wage-weighted selection — higher OEWS wage levels receive more entries:

Step-by-step H-1B filing process

• Confirm specialty occupation and beneficiary credentials.
• File and certify LCA with DOL for the correct worksite and wage level.
• For cap-subject cases: register in March lottery; file I-129 only if selected.
• Prepare Form I-129 with support letter, evidence packet, and employer-paid fees.
• Track USCIS receipt; optional premium processing ($2,965) for 15-business-day action.

Document checklist

From the employer

• Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
• H Classification Supplement to Form I-129
• Certified Labor Condition Application (Form ETA-9035)
• Employer support letter with job duties and specialty-occupation analysis
• Company evidence (e.g., tax returns, business license, org chart as needed)
• Filing fee payments (employer-paid; cannot be passed to the employee)
• Public Access File (PAF) for the certified LCA

From the employee

• Copy of valid passport (biographic page)
• Degree certificates and official transcripts
• Credential evaluation for foreign degrees (if applicable)
• Resume/CV consistent with petition forms
• I-94 arrival record and prior immigration documents (if in the U.S.)
• Prior H-1B approval notices (I-797) for extensions or transfers
• Pay stubs for change-of-employer or amendment cases

Government fees (2026)

h1bfiling.com service fees: $999 lottery · $2,999 full filing. Government fees below are separate:

Common RFE triggers

• Specialty occupation — degree field does not clearly match job duties
• Employer-employee relationship at third-party client sites (consulting/staffing)
• Wage level or SOC code inconsistency between registration, LCA, and I-129
• Insufficient evidence connecting beneficiary qualifications to the offered role
• Itinerary or worksite gaps for multi-location or remote assignments

H-1B transfers to Dallas

Change-of-employer transfers skip the lottery when the beneficiary holds valid H-1B status. The new Dallas employer files a fresh LCA for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and a new Form I-129. Allow 6–8 weeks before desired start dates.