You must be paid at least the actual or prevailing wage for your occupation, whichever is higher.

The prevailing wage is determined based on the position in which you will be employed and the geographic location where you will be working (among other factors). The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) maintains a database with applicable current prevailing wage levels based on occupation and work location.

To demonstrate you will be paid the appropriate wage, you must submit a Labor Condition Application (LCA) for your position, certified by the Secretary of Labor, which states, in part:

The employer is offering and will offer during the period of authorized employment to aliens admitted or provided status as an H-1B non-immigrant wages that are at least the actual wage level paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications for the specific employment in question, or the prevailing wage level for the occupational classification in the area of employment, whichever is greater, based on the best information available as of the time of filing the application.

If you are currently working for the company (e.g. working for the company you started while on OPT), some of the evidence you may submit to demonstrate that you will be paid the appropriate wage includes: 

• Your most recent paystubs
• Your most recent W-2 showing the wages you received

If you are not currently working for the company, you may submit a letter from the company attesting to the wage that you will be paid once employed as an H-1B.

Your job must be in a specialty occupation related to your field of study.

Some of the evidence you may submit to demonstrate that your degree is related to your position includes:

• A detailed explanation of the specific duties of the position, the product or service your company provides, or the complex nature of the role you will perform, and how your degree relates to the role.
• Written opinions from experts in the field explaining how the degree is related to the role you will perform.
• Printouts from online resources describing the degree fields normally associated with the occupation.  
• Evidence that similar companies in your industry require similar degrees for similar positions. 

Your job must qualify as a specialty occupation by meeting one of the following criteria: 

• A bachelor’s degree or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum requirement for the particular position; 
• The degree requirement is common for this position in the industry, or the job is so complex or unique that it can only be performed by someone with at least a bachelor's degree in a field related to the position;
• The employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position; or
• The nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor's or higher degree. 

In general, a valid employer-employee relationship is determined by whether the U.S. employer may hire, pay, fire, supervise or otherwise control the work of the H-1B worker. In some cases, the sole or majority owner of the petitioning company or organization may be able to establish a valid employer-employee relationship, if the facts show that the petitioning entity has the right to control the beneficiary’s employment.

If you own your company you may be able to demonstrate that an employer-employee relationship exists if the control of your work is exercised by others.  For example, if your company has a board of directors, preferred shareholders, investors, or other factors that show your organization has the right to control the terms and conditions of your employment (namely the right to hire, fire, pay, supervise or otherwise control the terms and conditions of your employment), then you may be able to meet this requirement. Some of the evidence you may submit to demonstrate the distinction between your ownership interest and the right to control your employment includes:                

• Term Sheet
• Capitalization Table
• Stock purchase Agreement
• Investor rights Agreement
• Voting Agreement
• Organizational documents and operating agreements