Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citadel, Two Sigma, and Blackrock file H-1B at Level 4 wages — the highest lottery priority tier — for quant and trading roles.
New York City's financial industry represents one of the most lucrative and lottery-advantaged paths to H-1B status for international professionals in quantitative finance, risk analytics, and trading systems. The largest Wall Street banks and hedge funds routinely file H-1B petitions at Level 4 prevailing wages — the 67th percentile and above for a given occupation and location — which carries the highest selection priority under the wage-weighted H-1B lottery. For roles like Quantitative Analyst, Quantitative Developer, and Trading Systems Engineer, Level 4 wages in New York City typically exceed $150,000, with top quant roles at firms like Citadel, Two Sigma, and Goldman Sachs reaching $300,000–$400,000+ in total compensation.
Wall Street firms filing H-1B at Level 4 wages (67th+ percentile) — including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Citadel, Two Sigma, and Blackrock — give candidates approximately 62% lottery selection odds versus ~25% for Level 1–2 filings under the wage-prioritized system.
Quant roles (Quantitative Analyst, Quantitative Developer, Risk Analyst, Trading Systems Engineer) at major NYC finance firms regularly qualify for Level 4 wages of $150,000–$400,000+, making them among the highest-priority H-1B registrations in the system.
The H-1B wage-weighted lottery fundamentally restructured selection odds for high-earning professionals. Under the system, USCIS fills the annual 65,000 regular-cap slots and 20,000 advanced-degree exemption slots by drawing first from Level 4 registrations, then Level 3, then Levels 1 and 2. In years where total registrations are 400,000–500,000 for 85,000 slots, the effective selection rate for random (non-wage-weighted) draws would be approximately 20–25%. But Level 4 registrations in oversubscribed years have historically achieved selection rates of 55–65% because they are prioritized in the draw order.
For NYC finance roles, this is particularly consequential. The DOL prevailing wage for a Quantitative Analyst (SOC 13-2099) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area at Level 4 is approximately $148,000. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citadel, and Two Sigma routinely file well above this threshold — their base salaries alone often exceed $175,000 for quant roles, qualifying as Level 4 with significant margin. This means their H-1B registrations are drawn before the bulk of cap-subject lottery registrations.
It is worth noting that hedge funds and proprietary trading firms like Citadel, Two Sigma, D.E. Shaw, and Renaissance Technologies are among the most aggressive H-1B sponsors in the financial sector. These firms actively recruit international PhD talent from top universities and are willing to pay premium wages to secure sponsored candidates. Their small headcount relative to banks means they file fewer total petitions, but their success rates and compensation levels are among the highest in the industry.
Title: Quantitative Strategist (Strats)
Location: New York, NY
Wage: $225,000/year (Level 4)
SOC Code: 15-2051 — Data Scientists / Quantitative Analysts
Title: Quantitative Risk Analyst
Location: New York, NY
Wage: $185,000/year (Level 4)
SOC Code: 13-2099 — Financial Specialists, All Other
Title: Quantitative Developer
Location: New York, NY
Wage: $275,000/year (Level 4)
SOC Code: 15-1252 — Software Developers (Financial Systems)
The DOL prevailing wage for Quantitative Analysts (SOC 13-2099 or 15-2051) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA at Level 4 is approximately $148,000–$165,000 depending on the exact SOC code used. Major banks typically file well above this floor — Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citadel filings for quant roles commonly show wages of $175,000–$300,000+, which comfortably qualify as Level 4 and receive the highest lottery priority.
Yes — elite hedge funds and quantitative trading firms are among the most consistent H-1B sponsors in finance. Citadel, Two Sigma, D.E. Shaw, Renaissance Technologies, and Jane Street actively recruit international PhDs from MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and top global universities. These firms pay compensation that far exceeds typical Level 4 thresholds, meaning their petitions are filed at the absolute top of the wage priority scale. They also use premium processing ($2,805 additional fee) to expedite approvals.
It depends on the specific role. For analyst-level positions at large banks (JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi), a bachelor's in finance, economics, mathematics, or computer science can suffice for H-1B specialty occupation qualification. However, for core quantitative roles (Quant Researcher, Quant Developer) at hedge funds, a master's or PhD in mathematics, statistics, physics, or computer science is typically required both by the employer and to comfortably satisfy the H-1B specialty occupation standard.
Under the wage-based lottery, your employer registers you in March for the following fiscal year (starting October 1). If your offer qualifies as Level 4, your registration enters the highest-priority selection pool. USCIS draws from Level 4 first until the cap is reached or that pool is exhausted, then proceeds to Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1. In oversubscribed years, having a Level 4 registration from a firm like Goldman Sachs or Citadel dramatically improves your odds compared to Level 1–2 registrations from IT consulting firms.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →The DOL prevailing wage for Quantitative Analysts (SOC 13-2099 or 15-2051) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA at Level 4 is approximately $148,000–$165,000 depending on the exact SOC code used. Major banks typically file well above this floor — Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citadel filings for quant roles commonly show wages of $175,000–$300,000+, which comfortably qualify as Level 4 and receive the highest lottery priority.
Yes — elite hedge funds and quantitative trading firms are among the most consistent H-1B sponsors in finance. Citadel, Two Sigma, D.E. Shaw, Renaissance Technologies, and Jane Street actively recruit international PhDs from MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and top global universities. These firms pay compensation that far exceeds typical Level 4 thresholds, meaning their petitions are filed at the absolute top of the wage priority scale. They also use premium processing ($2,805 additional fee) to expedite approvals.
It depends on the specific role. For analyst-level positions at large banks (JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi), a bachelor's in finance, economics, mathematics, or computer science can suffice for H-1B specialty occupation qualification. However, for core quantitative roles (Quant Researcher, Quant Developer) at hedge funds, a master's or PhD in mathematics, statistics, physics, or computer science is typically required both by the employer and to comfortably satisfy the H-1B specialty occupation standard.
Under the wage-based lottery, your employer registers you in March for the following fiscal year (starting October 1). If your offer qualifies as Level 4, your registration enters the highest-priority selection pool. USCIS draws from Level 4 first until the cap is reached or that pool is exhausted, then proceeds to Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1. In oversubscribed years, having a Level 4 registration from a firm like Goldman Sachs or Citadel dramatically improves your odds compared to Level 1–2 registrations from IT consulting firms.