H1B MCP Server

Local setup required. This server has to be cloned and prepared on your machine before you register it in Claude Code.
1

Set the server up locally

Run this once to clone and prepare the server before adding it to Claude Code.

Run in terminal
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/h1b-mcp.git
cd h1b-mcp
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
2

Register it in Claude Code

After the local setup is done, run this command to point Claude Code at the built server.

Run in terminal
claude mcp add h1b-mcp -- node "<FULL_PATH_TO_JOBSEARCH_MCP>/dist/index.js"

Replace <FULL_PATH_TO_JOBSEARCH_MCP>/dist/index.js with the actual folder you prepared in step 1.

README.md

Query H1B visa sponsorship data, approval rates, and top roles

h1b-mcp

An MCP server that lets Claude answer H1B visa sponsorship questions using free public DOL data.

Ask things like:

  • "Does Google sponsor H1Bs?"
  • "What's Amazon's H1B approval rate and top roles?"
  • "Which companies in Austin sponsor H1Bs for Data Engineers?"

Tools

Tool Description
lookup_company Quick sponsorship check + certified/denied/withdrawn counts
get_company_stats Approval rate, top 5 roles, avg annual wage, states
search_sponsors Filter companies by job title, state, and/or city

Setup

1. Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/h1b-mcp.git
cd h1b-mcp
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate      # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Build the database (one-time, ~2-3 min)

python loader.py

This downloads the FY2024 Q2 DOL H1B LCA data (~50MB) and loads it into a local SQLite database.

3. Verify the database

python -c "import sqlite3; db = sqlite3.connect('h1b.db'); print(db.execute('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM lca_applications').fetchone())"

Should print a non-zero count (e.g., (600000,)).

4. Connect to Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "h1b": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Important: Use the absolute path to the venv Python, not bare python. To find it:

cd h1b-mcp && source venv/bin/activate && which python

5. Restart Claude Desktop and start asking

"Which companies in New York sponsor H1Bs for software engineers?"

Data Source

Public DOL LCA Disclosure Data (FY2024 Q2). Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/performance

No API keys required. Data is a quarterly snapshot — re-run loader.py to refresh.

Running Tests

source venv/bin/activate
pytest tests/ -v

Tools (3)

lookup_companyQuick sponsorship check plus certified, denied, and withdrawn counts.
get_company_statsRetrieves approval rate, top 5 roles, average annual wage, and states.
search_sponsorsFilter companies by job title, state, and/or city.

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"h1b": {"command": "/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/venv/bin/python", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/server.py"]}}}

Try it

Does Google sponsor H1Bs?
What's Amazon's H1B approval rate and top roles?
Which companies in Austin sponsor H1Bs for Data Engineers?
Which companies in New York sponsor H1Bs for software engineers?

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of H1B MCP?

Queries public Department of Labor H1B LCA disclosure data. Provides company-specific sponsorship statistics and approval rates. Filters potential sponsors by job title, city, or state. Operates locally using a SQLite database for fast lookups.

What can I use H1B MCP for?

Job seekers researching companies that sponsor H1B visas. Analyzing hiring trends for specific roles in different US cities. Verifying the sponsorship history and approval rates of potential employers. Data-driven decision making for international professionals seeking US employment.

How do I install H1B MCP?

Install H1B MCP by running: git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/h1b-mcp.git && cd h1b-mcp && python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt

What MCP clients work with H1B MCP?

H1B MCP works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep H1B MCP docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Need the old visual installer? Open Conare IDE.
Open Conare