Most H-1B job descriptions start as the job posting, which may read thin to the officer deciding whether the role is a specialty occupation. Run ten checks on the JD you have, swap weak phrases for real duties, and use an AI prompt to draft one your attorney can review.
- Run ten checks on the JD you have. A perfect draft is not required.
- Your team can link the degree and experience to the role internally. You can draft the JD without waiting on it.
- For every tool, say what the person does with it and what comes out.
- Use the prompt to draft a JD your attorney can review.
Your H-1B job description probably started as the job posting. Postings are written to attract candidates. The job description (JD) goes into the employer's support letter, where a USCIS officer may read it to decide whether the role is a specialty occupation.
Picture the officer with your JD and nothing else. Can they tell what this person does all day, and why that work needs a specific degree?
The job requires at least a bachelor's degree in a named degree subject, and that degree is directly related to the duties. USCIS's guide to the H-1B modernization rule, effective January 17, 2025, describes this as a logical connection between degree and duties, and says a generalized degree is not sufficient. The standard sits in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4).
Run ten checks on the JD before it goes to counsel
Go through the table with your current JD open. If you cannot answer a check, flag it and move on.
| # | Check | A "No" often looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The JD describes the real job | Duties added to strengthen the case that the person will not perform |
| 2 | A specific degree is named | "Any bachelor's degree," or no degree subject |
| 3 | The degree matches the work | A degree that sounds relevant, with no matching duty |
| 4 | Duties are specific | Manage, support, or coordinate with no method or output |
| 5 | The time estimates reflect how the person will spend their workday | Percentages guessed without asking the hiring manager |
| 6 | Percentages total 100 | Percentages missing or off |
| 7 | Duties have subtasks | One-line duties with no day-to-day steps |
| 8 | Tools and terms are named and explained | "AI tools," "modern systems," unexplained acronyms |
| 9 | Requirements are minimums for the job | Traits like "self-starter" or "thrives under pressure" |
| 10 | The JD matches your other documents | Posting, offer letter, and Labor Condition Application (LCA) show different titles, levels, or pay |
Link the degree and experience to the role internally, if recruiting has not already
The degree and experience a role requires should be directly linked to its duties. If your recruiting process already did this, you are covered. If it did not, your team can do it internally. You do not need it to start the JD.
Hypothetical examples. The first three link the degree to the work. The last does not.
| Degree in the JD | Duties in the JD |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineer: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering | Designs foundations and retaining walls in AutoCAD. Calculates structural loads. Prepares permit drawings. |
| Software Developer: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science | Writes and tests Python services. Designs database schemas. Reviews code and fixes defects. |
| Financial Analyst: Bachelor's degree in Finance | Builds discounted cash flow models in Excel. Analyzes variances against budget. Prepares quarterly forecasts for the CFO. |
| Office Administrator: Any bachelor's degree | Answers phones. Files documents. Orders supplies. Schedules appointments. |
Swap weak phrases for what the person does, with which tools, and what comes out
| Phrase in the JD | What to write |
|---|---|
| "Self-starter," "team player," "fast learner" | Describe duties. Traits belong in the posting. |
| "Assists with," "supports," "helps with" | State what the person does, with method, tool, and output. |
| "General administrative duties," "other duties as assigned" | Name the core duties with their share of time. Give any catch-all a small share. |
| "Manage projects" | "Build the project schedule in Microsoft Project, track milestones weekly, and report status and risks to the director." |
Before: "Uses SQL and Tableau for marketing reporting."
After: "Writes SQL queries against the customer database to compare campaign results, builds the weekly Tableau report the director uses to decide which campaigns to continue, and explains what each A/B test result can and cannot support."
Build the JD from a typical month of work in five steps
- List a typical month. Ask the employee and the hiring manager for the tasks, a rough share of time, the tools, and who receives each result.
- Group the tasks into duties. Five to seven often works. Give each a percentage of time, totaling 100. Put scheduling and similar small tasks in one short final duty.
- Add subtasks. Two or three per duty can show the action, the method, the software, and who uses the output. Spell out acronyms.
- Name the degree. Use the degree subject your recruiting process already linked to the duties.
- Cross-check. Compare title, level, reporting line, pay, hours, and exempt status with the posting, offer letter, and LCA.
Use AI to create a strong H-1B JD
Save time. Enter your email for a copy-and-paste prompt that helps you draft a JD your attorney can review.
LLM output reads smoothly even when a detail is wrong. Have the hiring manager confirm each duty, percentage, and tool. Keep passport and receipt numbers out of the conversation.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult qualified immigration counsel before making decisions about your sponsored workforce.
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