Texas state agencies may have frozen H-1B sponsorship, but private research universities, medical centers, and nonprofits remain active cap-exempt sponsors.
Texas has been one of the most active H-1B states in the country, but recent state government policy changes have created uncertainty for international professionals. In 2024-2025, several Texas state agencies either paused or restricted H-1B sponsorship for state employees, raising concerns about the future of H-1B opportunities in the Lone Star State. However, this state agency freeze does NOT affect the vast ecosystem of cap-exempt H-1B sponsors that operate independently of state government: private research universities like Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, major nonprofit medical centers like MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children's Hospital, and federally funded research institutions continue to sponsor H-1B visas without any lottery requirement. This guide identifies the cap-exempt sponsors still actively hiring in Texas.
| Company | Total H-1B Filings |
|---|---|
| Amazon | 55,150 |
| Microsoft | 34,626 |
| 33,416 | |
| Infosys | 32,840 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | 28,950 |
| Cognizant | 26,700 |
| Deloitte | 18,200 |
| Apple | 15,800 |
| Meta | 14,900 |
| JPMorgan Chase | 12,400 |
The distinction between state government employers and cap-exempt institutions is critical for understanding the Texas H-1B landscape. The state agency freeze applies to positions funded directly by the State of Texas and administered through state agencies (e.g., Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Department of Transportation). This is a policy decision by state leadership, not a federal immigration rule change. Private companies, federal agencies, and — most importantly for cap-exempt seekers — universities, nonprofit research organizations, and nonprofit medical institutions are completely unaffected.
Texas hosts some of the nation's most active cap-exempt H-1B sponsors. The University of Texas System — encompassing UT Austin, UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas), UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston), UTMB Galveston, UT Health San Antonio, and UT Health Houston — collectively sponsors thousands of H-1B workers annually in research, clinical, and technical roles. UT System institutions are classified as institutions of higher education, making all H-1B petitions they file cap-exempt regardless of the specific role. The Texas A&M University System, including Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M, and affiliated research agencies like the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and AgriLife Research, provides another massive cap-exempt pathway.
Houston's Texas Medical Center — the world's largest medical complex — is an extraordinary cap-exempt resource. Institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and Memorial Hermann-TMC employ thousands of international researchers, physicians, and technical specialists on cap-exempt H-1B visas. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute provide additional cap-exempt opportunities. Rice University in Houston, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and Trinity University in San Antonio round out the private university cap-exempt options.
Search for universities, medical centers, and nonprofit research institutions in Texas that sponsor H-1B without the lottery. Search cap-exempt sponsors in Texas →
Search thousands of verified H-1B sponsors by company, industry, and location.
Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →No. The Texas state agency H-1B freeze is a state government employment policy decision and does NOT affect universities, even public ones. UT System universities (UT Austin, UT Southwestern, MD Anderson, etc.) and Texas A&M System institutions continue to sponsor H-1B visas as they always have. These institutions are classified as 'institutions of higher education' under federal immigration law, which makes them cap-exempt H-1B sponsors — their H-1B petitions bypass the lottery entirely. The state freeze only affects positions within state executive agencies (like HHSC, TxDOT, etc.) that are directly funded through state appropriations.
Cap-subject H-1B petitions (filed by private companies like Amazon, Dell, AT&T) are subject to the annual 85,000 H-1B cap and must go through the lottery. Cap-exempt petitions (filed by universities, nonprofit research organizations, and government research entities) are exempt from the cap — they can be filed at any time, year-round, with no lottery. In Texas, cap-exempt employers include all UT System and Texas A&M System universities, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and nonprofit research institutes. A common strategy is to work cap-exempt while entering the H-1B lottery through a private employer, then transferring when selected.
Yes, but with an important caveat. If you hold cap-exempt H-1B status at a university and want to transfer to a cap-subject private company, you must be selected in the H-1B lottery. Your current cap-exempt status does not give you cap-subject status. The private company must register you in the next lottery, and if selected, file a transfer petition. However, you can maintain your university H-1B while going through this process. Some professionals keep a part-time cap-exempt position at the university even after transferring, which provides a safety net. If you transfer fully to a cap-subject employer, you cannot return to cap-exempt without the cap-exempt employer filing a new petition.
It depends on the institution. Nonprofit medical centers that are affiliated with or related to institutions of higher education qualify as cap-exempt. In Texas, this includes: MD Anderson Cancer Center (UT System), UT Southwestern Medical Center (UT System), Baylor College of Medicine (private medical school), Texas Children's Hospital (affiliated with Baylor), and Houston Methodist (nonprofit teaching hospital affiliated with Weill Cornell). For-profit hospital systems are generally cap-subject. The key test is whether the institution is a nonprofit 'related to or affiliated with' a university — this relationship must be genuine and documented, not just a loose affiliation.