Stay at a university (cap-exempt H-1B) or move to industry while on STEM OPT?
I’m 26 years old and currently work as a Data Engineer at a university in California. My salary is under $100k, and I enjoy learning. I don’t have a lot of professional experience yet, but I’m motivated to grow my technical skills.
I’m currently on STEM OPT and only have **one H-1B lottery attempt left**.
I’m trying to decide between two paths:
**Option 1:** Stay at the university and pursue a cap-exempt H-1B, which offers more immigration stability but potentially slower salary and career growth.
**Option 2:** Move to a private company where I could earn more, work on larger-scale engineering problems, and grow faster, but I’d be relying on my last H-1B lottery.
For those who have been in a similar situation:
Which path would you choose and why?
Is staying at a university for a few more years worth it for the cap-exempt H-1B?
If you were in my position, would you prioritize immigration security or faster career growth?
Has anyone successfully transitioned from a university cap-exempt H-1B to industry later? How difficult was it?
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually gone through this decision.