H-1B Filing & Petition in San Francisco — Bay Area Employers

File a certified LCA with the DOL for your San Francisco worksite, then submit Form I-129 to USCIS. On h1bfiling.com, create an employer account, start a case (San Francisco, CA worksite), invite your candidate, and our lawyers prepare the LCA and I-129 petition — flat fee $2,999.

"H-1B filing" is the full process: LCA certification, Form I-129 petition assembly, and USCIS submission. The petition (I-129) is the formal request to USCIS. h1bfiling.com handles both for San Francisco employers in one workflow.

LCA certification typically takes 7–14 days (longer if flagged). USCIS I-129 processing varies by service center and premium processing. Most San Francisco employers complete document collection and LCA prep in 2–4 weeks on h1bfiling.com before USCIS submission.

Yes. Change-of-employer H-1B transfers require a new LCA for your San Francisco location and a new I-129 petition. Candidates already in H-1B status skip the lottery. AC21 porting may apply upon USCIS receipt.

Recent DOL LCA disclosure data shows an average offered annual wage of about $184,726 across certified San Francisco metro filings. Actual wages vary by occupation, OEWS wage level, and employer.

Top LCA filers in San Francisco include University of California, San Francisco, OpenAI, Airbnb, Lyft, Salesforce — based on public DOL FLAG disclosure data. LCA volume reflects employer demand; USCIS separately approves petitions.

Recent DOL disclosure shows roughly 99.4% of San Francisco metro LCA applications certified. Certification confirms wage and worksite compliance — it is not the same as USCIS petition approval.

h1bfiling.com charges $999 for lottery registration and $2,999 for full H-1B filing (LCA + I-129 petition prep). RFE attorney response work is included in the filing flat fee. USCIS government fees — I-129 base fee, ACWIA, fraud prevention, asylum program, and optional premium processing — are separate and paid by the employer.

For FY 2027, USCIS assigns 1–4 lottery entries based on OEWS wage level for the offered salary, SOC code, and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA worksite. Level IV registrations receive four entries; Level I receive one.

Employers typically provide Form I-129, H Classification Supplement, certified LCA, employer support letter, company evidence, and fee payments. Employees provide passport, degrees, transcripts, resume, and prior immigration documents. h1bfiling.com collects these through a secure candidate portal.

Yes. Change-of-employer transfers require a new LCA for your San Francisco location and a new I-129 petition. Candidates already in H-1B status skip the lottery. AC21 porting may apply upon USCIS receipt.

Employers in San Francisco, CA benefit from an immigration lawyer for LCA prevailing-wage review, Form I-129 petition prep, and specialty-occupation documentation. h1bfiling.com includes a dedicated H-1B lawyer on every transfer and petition at a flat $2,999 fee — including attorney work if USCIS issues an RFE.

H-1B lets San Francisco employers hire specialty-occupation professionals for up to six years (with limited extensions tied to green-card progress), supports dual intent, and allows change-of-employer transfers without lottery when the worker is already in status. Spouses and children may seek H-4 status.

The role must be a specialty occupation (typically requiring a related bachelor’s or equivalent), the employer must control the worker as a W-2 employee, and the wage must meet San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA prevailing wage for the SOC code. Cap-subject first-time petitions need lottery selection unless the sponsor is cap-exempt.

Yes. On h1bfiling.com, attorney work to respond if USCIS issues a Request for Evidence is included in the $2,999 flat filing fee. There is no separate USCIS fee for an RFE reply. Government fees on the original petition remain separate.

H-1B status is generally available for up to six years (often 3+3), with dual intent allowing green-card pursuit. Extensions beyond six years may be available with certain immigrant petition progress. Change-of-employer transfers into San Francisco typically skip the lottery when the worker is already in H-1B status.

No. h1bfiling.com quotes a fixed $2,999 for full H-1B filing in San Francisco, CA. Employer and candidate questions during LCA certification and I-129 preparation are included — you are not billed hourly for emails, status updates, or document follow-up.

UCSF, as part of the University of California system, typically files cap-exempt H-1B petitions for qualifying research and clinical faculty roles. h1bfiling.com supports university employers with lawyer-reviewed filings.