- The H-1B lottery rejects roughly two out of three applicants. Even a well-prepared petition can still leave a role unfilled after a year of waiting.
- Nearshore hiring delivers a candidate shortlist in 24 to 48 hours and a median fill time of 19 days for LATAM placements.
When a role opens up, many US companies default to one of two paths: sponsoring a foreign worker through an H-1B visa, or hiring through a nearshore provider who places vetted talent from adjacent markets like Latin America.
Both can get the right person in the seat. The difference is how long that takes, and for a business with a project already in motion.
That difference matters more than most leaders account for upfront.
How Long Does H-1B Sponsorship Actually Take?
Standard H-1B processing averages 8 to 14 months, with first-time applications requiring 18 to 24 months of forward planning once you factor in the lottery cycle.
The lottery adds a layer of risk that careful planning cannot eliminate. In FY 2026, USCIS selected roughly 35% of registrations. Two out of three candidates never advanced past the drawing, regardless of qualifications or employer preparation.
How Fast Is Nearshore Hiring?
Mature nearshore providers deliver a first shortlist within 24 to 48 hours, and the median time to hire for LATAM placements at SaaS companies runs about 19 days. That’s a lot less compared to 70 or more days for equivalent domestic searches.
Executives are pressed for time. They need capability in the seat now, working alongside their team.
At Keenan Reid, we built our entire nearshore model on that premise. We help US companies find director-level individual contributors that integrate into organizations and move the needle fast.
The speed advantage in nearshore hiring comes from access to a pre-vetted, immediately available talent pool. The role fills faster because the sourcing infrastructure already exists.
What Does a Vacant Seat Actually Cost?
An empty seat carries a real price. Research puts the cost of a vacancy at one to two times the annual salary of the role once lost productivity is counted. For a $70,000 position, a year-long search creates a cost of $70,000 to $140,000.
The cost compounds in three concrete ways:
- Stalled initiatives that push revenue further out.
- Overloaded teams covering the gap, which raises burnout and turnover risk.
- Leadership attention pulled into day-to-day coverage instead of growth.
When Should Leaders Choose Each Path?
H-1B sponsorship still has a place. For long-horizon roles where a specific individual is the priority, and where 18 to 24 months of lead time is acceptable, it’s a legitimate path.
But for capability needs that are blocking execution this quarter, the timeline comparison settles the question in favor of nearshore staffing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the average H-1B processing time?
A: Standard H-1B processing averages 8 to 14 months. First-time applicants who must go through the lottery typically need 18 to 24 months of planning time from start to finish.
Q: What is the H-1B lottery approval rate?
A: In FY 2026, USCIS selected approximately 35 percent of H-1B registrations. That means roughly two out of three employer-sponsored candidates did not advance past the lottery, regardless of the strength of the petition.
Q: How fast is nearshore hiring?
A: Most mature nearshore providers deliver an initial candidate shortlist within 24 to 48 hours. Median time to hire for LATAM placements at SaaS companies is approximately 19 days, compared to 70 or more days for comparable domestic searches.
