H1B - Picked, In Confusion
H1B got picked, and instead of feeling excited, I’m honestly pretty confused and stressed.
I still have 2 years of STEM OPT left and 2 lottery attempts remaining. Financially, I’m trying to understand whether moving to H1B right now actually makes sense. With the taxes on H1B, I’m worried I won’t really be able to save much at all compared to staying on STEM OPT for now.
Another thing adding to the uncertainty: my employer is filing my H1B, but the role is a contract position, and I haven’t officially joined yet. That makes me nervous about stability and whether this is the right move at this stage.
Options i have:
Staying on STEM OPT longer vs switching to H1B now
Higher taxes and reduced savings on H1B
The risk of starting H1B with a contract role
Whether it’s smarter to “lock in” H1B or wait while I still have time and chances
If anyone has been in a similar situation or has insights on how to think about this strategically (financially and immigration-wise), I’d really appreciate your perspective.