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A lottery-free H-1B pathway for foreign nationals.

99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
99% Visa approval rate
175+ Foreign national participants
20% of Fellowship graduates listed on a patent
14M+ funding raised by Build Fellows
thebuildfellowship logo

A backup plan for the H-1B lottery

The Build Fellowship is a nationwide, cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship for global talent seeking to grow careers and companies in the U.S. We offer a powerful solution for foreign nationals who were not selected in the H-1B lottery but want to continue working in the U.S. Through our partnerships with nonprofits and universities, we enable fellows to work in part-time cap-exempt H-1B roles while retaining their primary employment with their full-time, for-profit employer.

Build Fellows

Global talent applies for The Build Fellowship to access an immigration solution and train the future U.S. workforce.

Companies

Nominate global talent for The Build Fellowship to hire and retain employees, and also access a pipeline of candidates.

Nonprofits

Launch Build Fellowship programs to offer part-time, cap-exempt H-1B positions for global talent to work with university partners.

Universities

Partner with nonprofits to offer students access and work experiences with Build Fellows from high-growth companies.

How it works

Get started with The Build Fellowship

1

Application

The Build Fellowship welcomes applications from foreign nationals in specialty occupations, innovators and experts, and entrepreneurs seeking immigration solutions for U.S. employment.

    2

    Secure Part-Time Cap-Exempt H-1B

    The Build Fellowship creates part-time positions for Build Fellows at partner nonprofits and universities, who will lead U.S. students on specialized industry projects, qualifying Build Fellows for a cap-exempt H-1B.

      3

      Continue Concurrent Employment

      Once the first cap-exempt H-1B is secured, Build Fellows can remain employed full time at any U.S. company (for-profit or non-profit) who would file a concurrent, lottery-free H-1B on their behalf.

        Fellowship requirements

        • A Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in a specialized field
        • Ability to dedicate 5+ hours per week to educational programming initiatives and workforce development.
        • A benefactor (a company, organization, or individual) willing to support the Fellowship costs – Fellows cannot fund their own Fellowship.

        Join The Fellowship

        Fellowship timeline

        Evaluation & Contracting
        2 - 3 Weeks
        • Nomination and application
        • Candidate screening and H-1B evaluation
        • Contract signed

        Visa processing
        6 - 8 Weeks
        • Petition document development
        • Cap-exempt H-1B visa approved (if no RFE)

        FELLOWSHIP Begins
        1 Week
        • Employment starts
        • Full-time employer files concurrent visa petition

        For individuals outside of the U.S., their Fellowship begins when they enter the United States with a visa stamp

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        Join our next info session

        Register for our upcoming info sessions to learn more about The Build Fellowship for global talent

        Shritesh Bhattarai

        Shritesh is a foreign national from Nepal, and came to the United States in 2015 to pursue his masters. He had a penchant for two things: entrepreneurship and mentorship—two pursuits he wanted to continue in the United States, a place he saw limitless in opportunities. After getting selected for The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues, Shritesh created an industry-based project through his company, Remix Labs where he was assigned a Queens College student named Wilber. An aspiring software engineer with a passion for coding and gaming, Wilber brought a fresh, technical perspective to the no-code software platform Remix Labs operates on. His dedication, above-and-beyond approach and work ethic did not go unnoticed. Shritesh was so impressed by his work, that Wilber became the first junior-level, no-interview hire. Mentoring Wilber and witnessing his growth reinforced the gratifying experience of guiding future tech talents. <br><b>“The internship at Remix Labs was great for someone like me who wanted to get into programming in the tech space. During the internship, I got exposure to the Remix Labs platform and all of its functionalities. The platform itself is a no-code tool used to build out applications. I also learned how to design the flow of an app process data in a programming environment. Shritesh was such a smart and approachable project leader, and helped me every step of the way. He was my biggest advocate and got me a job as a Product Engineer position at the company—with no interview! He believed in me that much! Though I’m not working on his team, I still consider him my mentor. He’s the reason I was able to start my career.”</b><br>

        Shritesh Bhattarai

        Open Avenues Fellow, Software Engineer at Remix Labs

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        Thirdweb
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        Nominate yourself for
        The Build Fellowship

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        What is a benefactor?

        An employer or other benefactor responsible for the Fellowship financial commitment. Note that Fellows are not allowed to pay the cost of their Fellowship themselves.


        Employment information

        Academic information

        If you have not earned a degree, please describe your years of work experience and expertise.


        Immigration information

        About the fellowship

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