visa_vik · 3 replies
interviewing in the next few weeks and I can't get a straight answer on visa sponsorship. the recruiter said "we look at this case by case" which is honestly the most stressful thing you can say to someone on an H1B. has anyone had direct experience or gotten a clear yes from them? i'm okay with taking a risk if people have heard positive outcomes but "case by case" from a small company is worrying me. i have 8 months left on my current status so timing actually matters here.
"case by case" at a company under 200 people usually means they haven't formalized it yet, not that they're hostile to it. i'd ask specifically: have you sponsored H1Bs before, and do you have immigration counsel on retainer. those two questions tell you more than the vague answer.
i talked to someone who joined xAI from overseas. they did get sponsorship but it took a while to process because the company was newer to it. not a blocker but add buffer time to your assumptions.
from the recruiting side: "case by case" often means they'll do it for candidates they really want but won't commit broadly so they don't set expectations. if you get to offer stage, escalate the specific question directly. don't wait.