Does Nvidia Sponsor H-1B? Approvals, the $100,000 Fee Pledge, and What OPT Students Should Know in 2026

Does Nvidia sponsor H-1B visas? Yes. Nvidia is one of the larger H-1B sponsors in the technology industry, and unlike several of its Big Tech peers, its sponsorship has been growing. According to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis of USCIS data, Nvidia was approved for 563 new (initial-employment) H-1B petitions in fiscal year 2025, up from 376 in FY 2024, with a denial rate of about 1%. For international students targeting AI, GPU, and chip-design roles, Nvidia is one of the most sponsorship-friendly names on the list.

Nvidia H-1B approvals by the numbers

• FY 2025 new (initial-employment) H-1B approvals: 563, per NFAP's analysis of USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub figures — up roughly 50% from 376 in FY 2024.
• FY 2025 denial rate on initial petitions: about 1%.
• FY 2025 continuing-employment approvals (extensions, amendments, and transfers for current H-1B employees): 1,207, up from 1,143 in FY 2024 — a sign of a sizable existing H-1B workforce.
• FY 2025 total approvals, new plus continuing: 1,767 (with 14 denials), up from 1,519 in FY 2024. This is the figure shown on Nvidia's GlanceJobs company page, glancejobs.com/company/nvidia-corp-59404/, which counts every approved petition, not only new hires.
• Q2 FY 2026 (January–March 2026) certified Labor Condition Applications: 765, up from 641 in the same quarter a year earlier (about +19%), per a Business Insider analysis of Department of Labor data.

Why do the numbers differ? The 563 counts only first-time H-1B hires at Nvidia — the number that matters most if you are an F-1 student hoping to be sponsored. USCIS's own employer data hub lists 560 for the same year; NFAP's slightly higher figure reflects how it groups company-name variants. The 1,767 total adds the people Nvidia already employs on H-1B whose status it extended or amended during the year.

For context, Amazon was approved for 4,644 new H-1B workers in FY 2025 and Apple for 823, so Nvidia is a mid-sized sponsor by headcount. What stands out is the direction: while Google, Amazon, and Microsoft filed noticeably fewer LCAs in early FY 2026, Nvidia filed more. See our companion piece on AI labs versus Big Tech H-1B filings for the full comparison.

The $100,000 fee: Nvidia says it will pay

After Proclamation 10973 imposed a $100,000 payment on certain new H-1B petitions in September 2025, Jensen Huang sent employees a memo saying Nvidia would keep sponsoring. "At NVIDIA, we built our company with extraordinary people from around the world, and we will continue to sponsor H-1B applicants and cover all associated fees," he wrote, adding that "the miracle of NVIDIA — built by all of you, and by brilliant colleagues around the world — would not be possible without immigration." That public commitment is unusual among large employers, most of which issued travel advisories but made no promise about future sponsorship. The fee itself has since been vacated by a federal court and then renewed by proclamation through September 2027; see our policy coverage for its current status.

Which roles Nvidia sponsors

Nvidia's sponsorship is concentrated in technical roles: GPU and chip architecture, ASIC and hardware design and verification, deep learning and AI research, CUDA and systems software, and related engineering positions. These are specialty occupations that fit the H-1B requirements cleanly, and they make up the bulk of Nvidia's LCA filings. Business-side roles are sponsored far less often, as at most tech companies.

OPT, STEM OPT, and CPT internships at Nvidia

• Internships: Nvidia runs year-round internship programs for bachelor's, master's, and PhD students and says it recruits students from around the world. F-1 students typically work these internships under CPT authorized by their school's DSO.
• OPT: no employer sponsorship is needed to work on post-completion OPT, so a full-time offer from Nvidia can start on your OPT EAD.
• STEM OPT: employers must be enrolled in E-Verify and complete a Form I-983 training plan with you. Most large tech employers, Nvidia included, routinely hire on STEM OPT; confirm with your recruiter and DSO before your 24-month extension application.
• OPT to H-1B: because you are already in the U.S., Nvidia can file your H-1B as a change of status from F-1. The STEM OPT extension gives you up to three H-1B lottery attempts before your work authorization ends.

What this means if you are on F-1, CPT, or OPT

• Nvidia is one of the clearest "yes" answers among famous employers: rising new H-1B approvals, rising FY 2026 filings, and a public CEO commitment to keep sponsoring.
• The bar is very high and the volume is modest — hundreds of new H-1Bs a year, not thousands. Target the technical teams that sponsor most: architecture, hardware, deep learning, and systems software.
• A CPT internship is the most common path in. Converting an internship to a full-time offer lets you start on OPT and enter the H-1B lottery while already on payroll.
• Do not rely on any single company. Build a list of employers with a steady sponsorship record in your field, including mid-size semiconductor and AI companies.

Bottom line

Nvidia sponsors H-1B visas, its sponsorship has grown rather than shrunk since 2024, and its CEO has publicly committed to paying whatever H-1B fees apply. For F-1 students with GPU, AI, or chip-design skills, it is one of the most visa-friendly famous companies to target — just expect intense competition for a relatively small number of sponsored roles.