H-1B1 Visa — Approved for Chilean and Singaporean Professionals

The H-1B1 is a nonimmigrant work visa created by the U.S.–Chile and U.S.–Singapore Free Trade Agreements (both effective January 2004), available exclusively to citizens of Chile or Singapore in specialty occupations. The specialty-occupation framework is the same one H-1B and E-3 use—a U.S. bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a directly related specific specialty.

The annual cap is separate from the H-1B cap: 1,400 visas for Chileans and 5,400 for Singaporeans, totaling 6,800. Both sub-caps have historically gone unfilled, meaning H-1B1 visas are available year-round without a registration window. The H-1B1 visa is valid for 18 months and the holder is admitted for up to 1 year at a time, renewable indefinitely in 1-year increments. Most cases are processed at a U.S. consulate using a certified Labor Condition Application; a USCIS I-129 petition is also available where change of status from within the U.S. is needed.

H-1B1 is non-dual-intent—the applicant must show no intent to permanently immigrate at the time of the interview—which is the most consequential difference from H-1B. Managing Attorney Loren Locke, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer who adjudicated thousands of visa applications, prepares H-1B1 applicants for the interview with an adjudicator's view of how nonimmigrant intent is assessed under § 214(b), what reads as credible at post, and what documentation to have ready beyond the standard packet. We do not file template petitions, and where the non-dual-intent posture conflicts with a planned green-card path, we evaluate H-1B as an alternative before recommending H-1B1.