Application

• Individuals cannot apply for the H1/H1B visa. A person must have a job offer and her employer must petition the immigration department to grant an H1/H1B visa.
  
  

Specialty Occupations

• The H1/H1B visa is intended to bring in people into specialized occupations. If you are not attempting to fill a specialty occupation, then the employer must petition with the H2/H2B visa application.
  
  

Required Education

• Generally the petitioning process only will take people with at least a bachelor's degree. A three-year degree can be accepted, but only if some graduate work has been completed.
  
  

Experience

• In most cases, education can be waived if the person has 12 years or more of experience in the field.
  
  

Cost of Termination

• If the employee is separated from the company before the expiration date on the visa expires, the company may be subject to relocation costs for that employee.
  
  

Length of Stay

• The maximum length of stay is six years. If a person wishes to say longer, he must apply for a green card.