What Is the H-1B1 Visa for Chile and Singapore Citizens?
TL;DR: The H-1B1 is a specialty-occupation work visa reserved exclusively for citizens of Chile and Singapore, created under each country's free trade agreement with the US. It works like H-1B — same specialty occupation and prevailing wage rules — but has its own 6,800-visa annual cap (1,400 for Chile, 5,400 for Singapore) that's almost never reached, so there's no lottery and no application window.
Claim and evidence
H-1B1 status exists because of the US-Chile and US-Singapore Free Trade Agreements. It requires: (1) the worker be a national of Chile or Singapore, (2) a US employer job offer in a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in that specific field, and (3) payment of at least the prevailing wage. The annual cap is 6,800 total — 1,400 for Chile and 5,400 for Singapore — and USCIS has never come close to filling it, so employers can file at any time of year.
H-1B vs. H-1B1
| Feature | H-1B | H-1B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible nationality | Any country | Chile or Singapore only |
| Annual cap | 65,000 + 20,000 master's exemption | 6,800 (1,400 Chile / 5,400 Singapore) |
| Lottery required | Yes, cap-subject | No — cap is rarely reached |
| Dual intent | Yes | No — must intend to depart after status ends |
| Premium processing | Yes | Not available |
| Filing method | Petition (Form I-129) then visa | Often direct consular application |
| Renewal limit | 6 years (extendable via AC21) | 1-year increments, no stated maximum extensions |
Step-by-step: applying for H-1B1
- Confirm nationality and job fit. You must be a Chilean or Singaporean citizen with a US job offer requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific specialty.
- Employer obtains a Labor Condition Application (LCA) from the Department of Labor, same as for H-1B, certifying the prevailing wage will be paid.
- Apply directly at a US consulate in Chile or Singapore with the LCA and job offer evidence — most H-1B1 applicants skip a USCIS petition entirely and go straight to consular processing.
- Renew annually as needed; there's no six-year cap and no numerical limit on extensions, but each renewal requires re-establishing nonimmigrant intent.
- Bring dependents on H-4 status. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 qualify for H-4, regardless of their own nationality, though H-4 holders under H-1B1 cannot work.
FAQ
Can H-1B1 holders later switch to H-1B or apply for a green card? H-1B1 is technically not a dual-intent category, meaning holders must intend to leave the US when their status ends. In practice, many H-1B1 workers do transition to H-1B or pursue employment-based green cards, but doing so requires careful handling of the "intent to depart" requirement at each renewal.
Why doesn't USCIS offer premium processing for H-1B1? Because most H-1B1 cases go directly to a US consulate rather than through a USCIS Form I-129 petition, there's no USCIS adjudication step to expedite.
Is there a lottery for H-1B1 like there is for H-1B? No. The 6,800-visa cap has never been reached, so H-1B1 employers can file at any point in the fiscal year without registering for a lottery.
Can dependents work on H-4 status under an H-1B1 principal? No. H-4 dependents of H-1B1 holders are not authorized to work, unlike some H-4 spouses of H-1B holders who may separately qualify for an EAD.
Sources: USCIS H-1B1 program guidance; US-Chile and US-Singapore Free Trade Agreements.
By Pinal Dave Last updated: 2026-08-03