How Much Does It Cost for a Nigerian Software Developer to Relocate to the United States? 🇺🇸
Software developers need no occupational license in the US, so the path is mostly about visas, not exams. A Nigerian developer typically gets a credential evaluation (WES or ECE), then needs an employer to sponsor an H-1B visa — which is cap-subject and, when oversubscribed, awarded by a wage-weighted selection. The EB-2 and EB-3 green cards that usually follow have been suspended for Nigerian nationals since 1 January 2026 under Proclamation 10998, which does not suspend the H-1B.
Quick Numbers
Total Cost
₦0.2M – ₦0.3M
Starting Salary
$82,460/yr
$82,460 (entry) to $214,670+ (top) (2025)
Nigerians Who Moved
Major H-1B occupation
2024-2025
Source Rank
BLS OOH May 2025
Step-by-Step: Registration & Costs
1Credential evaluation (WES or ECE)WES Course-by-Course (from $186); ECE $199 alternative
Get your Nigerian degree evaluated to confirm US-equivalency for employers and immigration. A course-by-course report is the standard.
2H-1B electronic registrationH-1B registration fee per beneficiary (FY2027)
Your sponsoring employer registers you in the annual H-1B lottery. When registrations exceed the cap, USCIS runs a weighted selection based on the wage level offered.
3H-1B petition (Form I-129)Employer-paid: I-129 base $780 ($460 small/nonprofit), ACWIA $1,500/$750, Fraud $500, Asylum $600/$300/$0, Pub. L. 114-113 fee $4,000 for covered employers, plus the $100,000 Proclamation payment (listed on G-1055; collection currently halted by court order)
If selected, the employer files Form I-129 with associated fees. These are paid by the employer, not the worker.
4EB-2/EB-3 green card (suspended for Nigerian nationals)Employer-paid: I-140 $715 + Asylum Program Fee $600 = $1,315 (most employers)
For permanent residence, an employer would normally sponsor an EB-2 or EB-3 petition via PERM labor certification and Form I-140. Since 1 January 2026, Proclamation 10998, s.5(j), has suspended immigrant visas for Nigerian nationals (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-19/html/2025-23570.htm), and USCIS is holding pending benefit applications for nationals the proclamation covers. The H-1B step above remains open.
Other Costs to Budget For
WES evaluation prices rose ~3% from Jan 1, 2026.
Official source ↗Good News: Employer Sponsorship
H-1B is entirely employer-driven: a US company must petition for you, and the visa is cap-subject (85,000 total incl. 20,000 master's) and filled by a wage-weighted selection when oversubscribed. Employers pay the petition fees by law and often handle green-card sponsorship later.
What employers typically cover:
- H-1B registration and I-129 petition fees
- Immigration legal fees
- EB-2/EB-3 PERM and I-140 sponsorship (immigrant visas suspended for Nigerian nationals)
What You'll Earn: $82,460 (entry) to $214,670+ (top) (2025)
Entry
$82,460
per year
After 2 Years
$135,980
per year
Top of Band
$214,670
per year
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025. Median $135,980; 10th percentile $82,460; 90th percentile $214,670. Source ↗
Important Things to Know
- No occupational license is required to work as a software developer in the US.
- H-1B is cap-subject and allocated by a wage-weighted selection when oversubscribed — even a strong candidate may not be selected in a given year.
- By law, H-1B petition fees are paid by the employer, not the worker.
- DHS finalized a wage-weighted H-1B selection rule effective Feb 27, 2026 (FY2027 cap onward) that may change lottery odds.
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Start Free CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to code in the US?
No. Software development is an unlicensed occupation, so the main hurdle for a Nigerian developer is securing visa sponsorship, not passing exams.
Who pays the H-1B visa fees?
The sponsoring employer. US law requires employers to cover the H-1B registration and I-129 petition fees; your main personal cost is the credential evaluation (~$186-$199).
What does a developer earn in the US?
BLS (May 2025) reports a median of $135,980, with entry-level around $82,460 and top earners above $214,670.
Related guides
Same profession, other countries
See cost breakdowns for this profession in other countries
Compare what it costs Nigerian software developers to relocate to each top destination.
Sources & Verification
We reviewed this page against official sources on 8 Oct 2026; each figure links to its source where an official one exists. We do not use AI training data for any costs, fees, or policy claims.
Verification Notes
WES ($186) and ECE ($199) figures are published 'starting at' base prices; the exact Nigeria-specific quote requires running the live country selector and is subject to a ~3% Jan 2026 increase.
The registration_steps cost field for steps 3 and 4 is omitted because those fees are employer-paid and multi-line; figures are in cost_label/breakdown instead.
Written by Max Ayobami
Founder of Japa Calculator, Nigeria's first data-driven relocation decision tool. Every cost figure and expert tip on this page is independently researched and verified against official government and regulatory body sources.