What visa existed before the H1B for immigrants?

Before the H 1B visa was created in 1990, immigrants who came to the United States for professional or skilled work generally used other employment based nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories that existed under earlier immigration laws.

1. H 1 Visa (Pre 1990)

The H 1B replaced the original H 1 visa category. The pre 1990 H 1 visa, introduced under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, was for foreign nationals of “distinguished merit and ability” coming to the U.S. to work temporarily in a specialty occupation. It had fewer numerical limits and less formal labor market testing compared to the modern H 1B.

2. Employment Based Immigrant Visas

Some skilled workers and professionals entered directly as permanent residents under employment based immigrant categories. These allowed entry without going through a temporary visa stage, although employer sponsorship and Department of Labor certification were often required.

3. Exchange Visitor Visas (J 1)

Some professionals came on J 1 exchange visitor visas for research, training, or teaching. While intended for cultural and educational exchange, it was sometimes used by skilled workers before moving to another status.

4. Other H Category Visas

Specialized H category visas existed for specific types of workers, such as H 2 for temporary non agricultural labor and H 2A for seasonal agricultural work. These were used when the jobs were temporary and did not require a university degree.

Summary:

Before the modern H 1B was established, many skilled immigrants used the earlier H 1 visa for “distinguished merit and ability” or entered directly as permanent residents through employment based immigrant visas. The 1990 Immigration Act split the original H 1 into today’s H 1B for specialty occupations and H 1A for nurses, along with creating stricter numerical caps and labor protections.