It's not.
In fact - I would argue that you have an easier shot with Bay Area companies sponsoring you due to capital availability and legal knowledge in the area of H1Bs.
In fact - I would argue that you have an easier shot with Bay Area companies sponsoring you due to capital availability and legal knowledge in the area of H1Bs.
For clarity, you think it would be easier to get a H1B sponsor in the Bay area than the rest of the country combined?
If so, I'm interested to know what you think as far as experience. Would you think someone with 1-5 years experience (or 5-10 years experience) would have an easier time getting a H1B visa in the Bay area than other places -- say Austin or Boulder?
Thanks for the feedback
If you're a company in, say, Atlanta or Boulder, and you need an engineer - there isn't as much competition as there is in the Bay Area. Therefore, it's more likely that you'll find an American engineer at the same price point (which is cheaper [due to legal costs] and less risky than an H1B), so there is little reason to go the extra mile and file an H1B - unless you really need that specific engineer/talent.
Whereas, if you go to the Bay Area, if the demand for engineers outweighs the supply (which I imagine it does), then it's more likely a company will file for an H1B for someone since it's a way of increasing the supply of engineers. The additional capital and legal knowledge (for smaller companies like startups) further spurs the willingness to try for an H1B.
From your response to the other poster - the one thing I would add is that the switching costs for someone on an H1B are higher than those that are not on H1Bs since you always have to have a company sponsor you (this isn't a difficult process, but if you are switching jobs I believe you have to have a company file a petition to sponsor you prior to you leaving your old company). That switching cost is sort of a way of retaining talent (obviously if someone wants to leave, they'll leave - but for those on the fence, they may not bother).