How to Hire and KEEP International Teachers

Hire international teachers in a sustainable way to improve academic performance.

The teacher shortage in the United States is one of the greatest challenges facing K-12 education today. School districts from Texas to Arizona, Florida to California, are struggling to fill classrooms with qualified educators. The consequences are clear: larger class sizes, rising teacher burnout, and declines in student achievement. While many districts have employed quick fixes, such as using long-term substitutes or increasing teacher workloads, these stopgaps rarely lead to lasting improvement.

What is needed is a sustainable solution that not only fills vacancies but also strengthens the quality and diversity of American classrooms in the long term. That’s where international educators—supported by the H-1B visa program—are making an impact.

The Global Solution: Welcoming International Educators

For decades, U.S. higher education has thrived thanks to the contributions of foreign-born professors and researchers. Top universities regularly recruit international faculty members who bring unique perspectives, global connections, and innovation to their respective fields. The result? American universities consistently rank among the world’s best, attracting students and faculty from every continent.

Now, K-12 schools are seeing similar benefits when they welcome qualified international teachers. These educators often fill hard-to-staff roles in math, science, special education, and world languages. Beyond their credentials, they enrich the student experience by sharing new cultures and viewpoints, helping American students become truly global citizens.

Dallas ISD: A Model for H-1B Success

No other school district demonstrates sustainable international hiring better than the Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD). Confronted with ongoing shortages, particularly in STEM and bilingual education, Dallas ISD utilized the H-1B cap-exempt program. This program enables educational institutions to sponsor international teachers throughout the year, bypassing the federal H-1B visa lottery cap.

By leveraging this model, Dallas ISD has filled critical teaching positions, improved classroom stability, and reduced costly turnover. Their international teachers report high satisfaction, while the district has built a vibrant, multicultural educator community. Most importantly, Dallas ISD’s students benefit from instructors who are deeply committed to their schools, often for years at a time, not just a single school year.

Moving Beyond the J-1 Cycle: Why Schools Are Transitioning

Historically, many districts relied on the J-1 exchange visitor program to bring in international teachers. While the J-1 program provides valuable cultural exchange, it was never designed as a permanent staffing solution. J-1 teachers are limited to three or five years in the U.S., after which they must return to their home country, often leaving schools scrambling to fill their roles all over again.

After repeating this cycle several times—managing endless paperwork and annual turnover—districts in states like Arizona, Florida, and Texas have shifted to the H-1B model. The difference is significant: H-1B teachers can stay up to six years (and potentially transition to permanent residency), allowing schools to retain their best talent and build lasting educator communities.

As one Arizona superintendent put it: “I’m tired of the J-1 treadmill. I want to build a community where I can help my teachers get situated and raise their families here. H-1B is the path to stability” - Dr. David Dumon.

The Broader Benefits of Hiring H-1B Professionals

While teachers are the most visible beneficiaries, the H-1B program enables schools to fill many other hard-to-staff certified roles, including:

• Speech and Language Therapists

• School Psychologists

• Special Education Experts

• Nurses and Health Professionals

These positions are critical for compliance with special education and health mandates, and they’re often the hardest to fill with domestic candidates. By recruiting international professionals, schools ensure every student has access to the support they need.

Benefits of hiring H-1B educators and specialists include:

• Access to top global talent: H-1B candidates are often highly qualified, experienced, and deeply motivated to succeed in American schools.

• Retention and continuity: With multi-year contracts, schools can invest in professional development and see their efforts yield long-term benefits.

• Cultural and linguistic diversity: International staff broaden student horizons and support bilingual student populations.

• Cost savings: Reducing turnover minimizes the high costs of recruitment, onboarding, and separation, estimated at over $20,000 per teacher in urban districts.

• Workforce flexibility: Schools can hire year-round, not just during the short spring hiring window, and are not limited by the annual H-1B lottery.

The Basic Steps: How to Hire H-1B Talent

Hiring H-1B teachers and staff can seem daunting, but with the right support, it’s a clear, step-by-step process:

1. Identify and recruit qualified international candidates.

2. Issue a formal job offer for a specialty position (e.g., math, science, special education, therapy, nursing).

3. File a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the U.S. Department of Labor to ensure fair wages and conditions.

4. Submit Form I-129 to USCIS—the official H-1B petition.

5. Arrange visa stamping and onboarding. Once approved, the educator completes embassy processing and prepares to begin work.

Most public, charter, and nonprofit-affiliated schools qualify for the H-1B cap exemption, meaning they can hire as many international teachers as needed, year-round, without competing in the federal lottery.

Requirements for cap-exemption include:

• Proof of nonprofit status or formal affiliation with a nonprofit or university.

• Documentation of employment contracts and job descriptions.

• Compliance with prevailing wage standards and Department of Labor regulations.

Challenges and How GlobalEd Solutions Makes It Easy

It’s true: the H-1B process involves legal, HR, and immigration complexities. Schools must navigate federal filings, monitor compliance, and support teachers through international relocation.

That’s why partnering with an expert—like GlobalEd Solutions—makes all the difference. GlobalEd Solutions offers a one-stop platform for:

• Candidate vetting and background checks

• Legal compliance and all visa filings

• Professional development and teacher preparation

• Mentorship and post-hire tracking

• Integrated technology (GlobalHire) for process management

GlobalEd Solutions’ GlobalHire platform streamlines recruitment, automates deadlines, and offers transparent communication among schools, candidates, and legal teams. The result? Schools can focus on student outcomes, not paperwork, while building a sustainable, world-class educator workforce.

J-1 Visa can transition to an H-1B in most cases

For schools that employ J-1 teachers, a clear process exists to retain these educators by transitioning them to H-1B status. This transition enables international teachers to stay with the school for up to six years, offering a pathway to permanent residency and helping to reduce turnover and maintain classroom continuity.

Schools eligible for cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship can start this process by offering a qualifying position and, if needed, assisting with the J-1 home residency waiver. GlobalEd Solutions provides comprehensive support throughout this transition, including managing paperwork, facilitating waivers, and coordinating directly with school administrators to ensure compliance and efficiency. This systematic approach helps schools retain experienced international teachers, contributing to greater stability in the classroom and improved educational outcomes.

Take the Next Step Toward Sustainability

Our US schools need bold solutions to meet today’s challenges. International educators are not just a quick fix; they’re a proven strategy for sustainable staffing, academic improvement, and building the diverse, resilient classrooms of tomorrow.

If your school is ready to move beyond short-term thinking, explore GlobalEd Solutions’ resources, schedule a free consultation, or access their comprehensive toolkit for sustainable international hiring. The path to a brighter, more stable future for your students—and your staff—begins now.

Ready to future-proof your school’s staffing? Learn more or schedule a free consultation at GlobalEd Solutions.

References

1. Learning Policy Institute. (2017). The Cost of Teacher Turnover. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/the-cost-of-teacher-turnover

2. National Science Foundation. (2023). Foreign-born scientists and engineers in the United States. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20236

3. Dallas ISD. (2024). Recruitment and Staffing Initiatives. https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/12345

4. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (2024). H-1B Specialty Occupations. https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations

5. American Immigration Council. (2022). The H-1B Visa Program: A Primer on the Program and Its Impact on Jobs and the Economy. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/h1b-visa-program-fact-sheet

6. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). (2022). International Teachers in the U.S.: Challenges and Opportunities. https://aacte.org/research-policy/

7. Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. Learning Policy Institute.