H-1B Concurrent Employment: Working Two H-1B Jobs
Yes, you can work two H-1B jobs at the same time, but each employer must file its own H-1B petition for you. This is called concurrent employment. Your current H-1B does not cover any other employer.
Every job is from an employer that filed H1Bs in 2025. See which ones fit your resume.
The basic rule
The regulation says that when a worker works for more than one employer, each employer must file a separate petition.
The second employer files Form I-129 as new concurrent employment. It needs its own certified Labor Condition Application (LCA).
That LCA must match the second job's duties, pay and worksite.
When you can start the second job
Portability covers concurrent jobs too. You may start once the second employer properly files a nonfrivolous petition, or on the requested start date if later.
Confirm the timing with the employer's attorney before you start.
| Employer | H-1B filings | Transfers | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.Com Services LLC | 14,047 | 2,382 | $155k |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions US CorpGC frozen | 10,209 | 872 | $110k |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 9,808 | 269 | $143k |
| Google LLC | 7,899 | 844 | $186k |
| Microsoft CorporationGC frozen | 7,840 | 879 | $173k |
| Tata Consultancy Services LimitedGC frozen | 7,287 | 353 | $86k |
Can two employers file at the same time?
Yes. Each employer files its own petition with its own LCA, and the filings can overlap.
If you plan to keep both jobs, the second employer should file for new concurrent employment. A change-of-employer filing is for replacing your current job.
Part-time and full-time
H-1B jobs can be part-time. Each employer states the hours on the petition, and DOL treats those as guaranteed hours.
The employer must pay for those hours even when there is no work, unless you are unavailable for non-work reasons.
There is no formal limit on the number of employers. Each petition must show you can actually do the job, so two full-time roles may draw scrutiny.
Wages for each job
Each employer must pay the higher of the prevailing wage or its actual wage for similar workers.
This applies separately to each job. One employer's pay does not cover the other's obligation.
If the second petition is denied
You must stop working for the second employer.
A denial does not affect your first job if its approval is still valid and you maintained status. You can keep working there.
Concurrent jobs with a cap-exempt employer
This is a common case. Someone with a university or research job adds a part-time role at a cap-subject company.
USCIS allows this without a lottery while you keep the cap-exempt job. The cap-subject petition must show you are in valid cap-exempt status and can do both jobs.
The cap-subject petition cannot run longer than the cap-exempt employment.
If the cap-exempt job ends, you may become subject to the cap, unless you were counted before. USCIS may then revoke the cap-subject petition.
Want to leave the cap-exempt job entirely? The new employer must usually register in the lottery first, typically in March.
Common mistakes
- Starting a side job, consulting gig or contract before a petition is filed
- Assuming one LCA covers both jobs
- Changing duties, hours or worksite at either job without checking whether an amended petition is needed
- Quitting the cap-exempt job while relying on a concurrent cap-subject petition
The $100,000 fee
USCIS guidance says in-country petitions that are granted a change, amendment or extension are generally exempt. Ask counsel how this applies to your concurrent filing.
A court vacated the fee guidance in June 2026, and the issue may still change. See our H-1B $100,000 fee page.
Finding a second sponsor
Browse H-1B jobs by role from employers that filed H-1B petitions in 2025. Then ask whether they file concurrent petitions.
You can also match sponsor jobs to your resume to find part-time or contract roles from known sponsors.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your situation with an immigration attorney.
Questions
Can I freelance on H-1B?
Work for any other employer needs that employer's own H-1B petition. Ask an attorney before taking side work.
Can both H-1B jobs be part-time?
Yes. Each petition lists its own hours, and each employer must pay for those hours.
Does a concurrent petition need the lottery?
Generally not if you were already counted against the cap. A cap-exempt worker can add a cap-subject job while keeping the cap-exempt job.
What happens to job two if job one ends?
It depends. If job one was cap-exempt, job two may become subject to the cap and could be revoked.
Can two employers file H-1B petitions for me at the same time?
Yes. Each employer files its own Form I-129 with its own certified LCA. You can work for each one only under the petition it filed.
Sources
- 8 CFR 214.2 (Cornell LII)
- USCIS: H-1B Specialty Occupations
- DOL Fact Sheet #62G: Must an H-1B worker be paid a guaranteed wage?
- DOL FLAG: Labor Condition Application
- RN Law Group: Concurrent H-1B Employment
- 8 U.S.C. 1184 (Cornell LII)
- USCIS: Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers
- Pryor Cashman: Latest USCIS Guidance on the H-1B Proclamation (Oct. 21, 2025)
- USCIS: Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
