H-1B Transfers for Companies Without a Mobility Team

Most U.S. employers sponsoring H-1B transfers don't have a mobility department. Immigration falls to HR, People Ops, or the CEO — often for the first time. Change-of-employer cases still require the same legal steps as large-enterprise filings: LCA, I-129, attorney strategy, and USCIS compliance.

What a mobility team usually does (and what you still need)

• Track visa expiration and grace-period deadlines → calendar + outside counsel
• Collect candidate documents → secure portal beats email
• File LCA with correct worksite and wage level → counsel prepares
• Draft specialty-occupation support letter → attorney-led
• File I-129 and monitor receipt/approval → filing service or firm
• Maintain PAF for DOL compliance → should be included in LCA workflow

A practical model for 1–10 cases per year

• Assign one internal owner (HR or founder) as immigration point person
• Use a flat-fee filing service with lawyer review — avoids open-ended hourly bills
• Open the case the week the offer is signed, not the week before start date
• Keep payroll (Rippling, Gusto, etc.) separate from immigration filing
• Document AC21 portability and receipt before the employee starts work

h1bfiling.com is built for employers without mobility infrastructure: candidate invite, document vault, LCA and I-129 prep, and case status — $2,999 flat per filing.