UT Southwestern, MD Anderson, Texas Medical Center -- cap-exempt sponsors unaffected by the Texas state hiring freeze.
Texas is home to some of the world's largest medical centers and research institutions, and they are all cap-exempt H-1B employers. Critically, these institutions are NOT affected by any state government hiring freeze -- cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship at research hospitals and universities operates under federal immigration law, not state employment policy. With the FY2027 lottery closed and odds at just 35.3%, Texas medical and research employers offer a guaranteed path to H-1B status.
Texas medical and research institutions are cap-exempt -- no H-1B lottery required.
MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT Southwestern, Baylor College of Medicine, and the entire Texas Medical Center network can sponsor H-1B workers year-round with no cap restrictions. These are NOT affected by state hiring freezes.
| Institution | H-1B Filings | Top Roles | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD Anderson Cancer Center | 1,623 | Research Scientist, Postdoc, Biostatistician | $82,000 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | 1,287 | Research Fellow, Data Analyst, Instructor | $78,000 |
| Baylor College of Medicine | 1,105 | Postdoctoral Associate, Research Scientist | $75,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin | 1,432 | Research Associate, Software Engineer, Lecturer | $80,000 |
| Texas A&M University | 1,198 | Research Scientist, Engineer, Assistant Professor | $76,000 |
| Rice University | 542 | Postdoc, Research Engineer, Data Scientist | $84,000 |
| UT Health Houston | 876 | Research Associate, Biostatistician, Analyst | $74,000 |
| Methodist Hospital (Houston) | 634 | Research Scientist, Clinical Data Analyst | $79,000 |
The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical complex in the world, employing over 106,000 people across 60+ institutions. Many of these institutions -- including MD Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health, and Methodist Hospital -- are cap-exempt H-1B employers. This creates one of the densest clusters of cap-exempt job opportunities anywhere in the United States.
A common misconception in 2026 is that Texas state government hiring restrictions affect these institutions. They do not. Cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship is governed by federal immigration law (INA 214(g)(5)), not state employment policy. Even during state hiring freezes, these institutions continue to sponsor H-1B workers at the same pace. MD Anderson alone filed over 1,600 H-1B petitions in the most recent DOL data.
For FY2027 lottery non-selectees, Texas medical research institutions represent an immediate pivot opportunity. With no lottery, no March deadline, and filing available year-round, you can begin the H-1B process as soon as you secure a qualifying role. F-1 OPT students filing through cap-exempt employers are also exempt from the $100K consular processing fee -- a significant financial advantage.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →No. Cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship is governed by federal law, not state employment policy. MD Anderson, UT Southwestern, Baylor College of Medicine, and other Texas research institutions continue to sponsor H-1B workers regardless of any state hiring freeze. These institutions operate under their own budgets and federal research grants, and their H-1B filing volumes have remained consistent through 2026.
The Texas Medical Center is a campus with 60+ separate institutions, each of which is its own employer for H-1B purposes. MD Anderson, Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Houston, and Texas Children's Hospital are all independent employers that file their own H-1B petitions. This means you can apply to multiple institutions within the TMC, each with its own cap-exempt filing capability.
Yes, but with an important caveat. If you transfer to a cap-subject private employer, you would normally need to go through the lottery. However, if you have been previously counted against the H-1B cap (e.g., you held a cap-subject H-1B before), you are cap-exempt for transfers. If your only H-1B has been cap-exempt, you would need to enter the lottery for a cap-subject employer. One strategy is to use concurrent employment -- keep your university H-1B while also working for the private company.
Any role at a qualifying institution (university, nonprofit research org, or government research entity) can be cap-exempt. This includes research scientists, postdocs, data engineers, biostatisticians, software developers working on research projects, lab managers, clinical research coordinators, and even administrative roles that primarily support the research or educational mission. The key is that the employer itself is cap-exempt -- not just the specific role.