Whether you're bringing Indian talent to the US, hiring India employees without opening a subsidiary, or navigating the H-1B maze — we map the fastest legal path to the people you need.
Most companies treat immigration reactively — someone gets hired, then the scramble begins. Companies that win the India-US talent game plan their visa pathway before the first offer letter. The difference between the right visa and the wrong one can be a decade of difference in when someone gets a greencard.
H-1B has 65K regular cap slots for 500K+ applications. Even with a master's exception, approval odds are under 40%. If your company's entire India talent strategy relies on H-1B, you'll lose critical hires every April. We map alternative pathways before the lottery fails you.
The India EB-2 priority date is currently October 2012. EB-3 India is even older. Indian nationals who have been waiting for a greencard since their 2009 employer sponsorship are still waiting. EAD extensions, H-4 EAD, AC21 portability — there are tools to manage the backlog, but only with proactive planning.
O-1A (extraordinary ability) has no cap and 2–4 month processing. L-1A transfers lead directly to EB-1C greencards — sometimes in 2–4 years vs decades for EB-3. EB-2 NIW lets exceptional candidates self-petition without an employer. EOR (Employer of Record) lets you hire in India in 2 weeks without any visa.
The right visa depends on the individual's background, your company structure, and your timeline. Here's the honest breakdown.
The classic work visa. Requires specialty occupation (degree or equivalent in a specific field), $60K+ prevailing wage compliance, and employer sponsorship. Cap: 65K general + 20K master's cap. Selection is purely random lottery — registrations open in March, draw in April, work start date October 1st. Strategy: never rely solely on H-1B. Always prep O-1A, TN (Canada/Mexico), or EOR backup.
Transfer an employee from your India subsidiary to the US parent/affiliate. L-1A (managers/executives) leads directly to EB-1C greencard — the fastest India greencard route, often 2–4 years to permanent residence. L-1B (specialized knowledge) is harder to win on adjudication. Key requirement: person must have worked for the related India entity for 1+ year in the past 3 years. This is why we recommend setting up your India subsidiary before you need the visa.
Highly underused. No cap, no lottery, 2–4 month standard processing (15 days with premium). Criteria: extraordinary ability demonstrated through publications, awards, high salary, judging others' work, critical role, or media coverage. Many senior Indian engineers and executives qualify without knowing it. O-1A is also a pathway to EB-1A greencard (also no PERM labor certification). Our specialty: evidence package building and attorney referral for O-1A petitions.
No employer required. Petition yourself if your work is in the national interest of the US. Common for: researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers working on critical technology. The downside for Indians: EB-2 India priority date is October 2012, meaning even an approved I-140 may wait years before a visa number is available. Best for people who may leave their employer or want immigration security independent of any employer.
EB-1A (alien of extraordinary ability) and EB-1C (multinational executives/managers) have "current" or near-current priority dates for India — meaning greencard processing can complete in 1–3 years even for Indian nationals. EB-1C requires 1+ year working for a related overseas entity in a managerial/executive capacity, then 1+ year in US in similar role. This is the single most powerful greencard route for Indian professionals in 2024-2026.
You don't need to open a Pvt Ltd to hire in India. Employer of Record (EOR) platforms let you hire India employees in as little as 2 weeks, with full compliance, payroll, and benefits handled locally.
< 10 employees: EOR is faster, cheaper, less risk. 10–20 employees: hybrid often makes sense. 20+ employees: own subsidiary typically saves 30–50% on overhead costs and gives you more control over IP and benefits structures.
India's "Silicon Valley." Highest engineer density, most startup experience, biggest pool for SaaS, cloud, ML, and product roles. Most competitive salaries (highest in India, but still 60% below US equivalent). Major anchor employers: Google, Microsoft, Infosys, Flipkart.
Strong for enterprise IT, pharma-tech, data science, and government tech. Microsoft's second-largest campus globally is here. Excellent infrastructure, lower cost than Bangalore, HITEC City tech corridor is world-class.
Fast-growing hub for automotive tech, manufacturing software, EV tech, fintech, and engineering services. More affordable than Bangalore with strong IIT/NIT graduate supply. Infosys, Wipro, and major BFSI captive centers based here.
Chennai: hardware, manufacturing, automobile technology, enterprise backend engineering. Called India's SaaS capital by some — Freshworks, Zoho, Chargebee all born here. Delhi NCR (Gurugram/Noida): enterprise sales, government tech, consulting, and the gateway for North India talent.
Understand roles, seniority, timelines, and whether existing employees are candidates for US transfer. Map the roles to the right immigration category vs. EOR vs. outsourcing.
For US-bound hires, evaluate each person's education, publications, awards, and work history to identify the strongest visa category. O-1A eligibility check, H-1B backup plan, L-1 viability.
We don't file petitions (that requires a licensed attorney) — but we prepare the full evidence package, select and introduce the right immigration attorney from our trusted network, and manage the process timeline.
For India-side hires: EOR platform selection, employment contract review, compensation benchmarking, benefits structuring (medical, PF, gratuity), and onboarding process for India employees.
IST-ET overlap window (8:30am–12:30pm ET is 6:00–10:00pm IST), async communication framework, onboarding culture brief, and initial management coaching to set cross-border teams up for success.
Annual LCA renewals, H-1B extensions, I-140 tracking, AC21 portability (job change after 180 days), EAD renewal timelines. Immigration compliance is not a one-time event — it's continuous.
Full written analysis of 1–5 individuals with visa pathway recommendations, timeline estimates, and risk assessment. Includes 2-hour debrief call. Ideal before making your first international hire offer.
End-to-end talent strategy for growing teams. Covers US immigration (up to 10 individual assessments per quarter), India EOR setup support, attorney coordination, compliance calendar management, and team integration playbook.
Complete O-1A evidence package development for one individual: criteria mapping, evidence list, reference letter drafts, and attorney introduction. For senior engineers, founders, or executives who may qualify and don't know it.
Attorney fees for visa filing are separate and vary by visa type and complexity. We provide independent advisory services and referrals only — we are not an immigration law firm.
Book a talent strategy session and get a clear view of the fastest legal path to the people you need — whether they're in Bangalore, Hyderabad, or already in the US on the wrong visa.