Monday Intel N°2: The visa question
Two of our five active searches will sponsor a visa. Here is what that means for founders scoping a search and for engineers weighing a move.
Every Monday we publish one honest observation from the searches we are running right now. No trend pieces, no recycled benchmarks. Just what the desk actually sees.
What the desk sees
Of the five searches currently open at NXT, two will sponsor a visa. The other three require existing US work authorization. That split is not a market statistic. It is five searches, and we are saying so plainly.
What is worth noting is how early the question comes up. Founders who decide their visa posture before sourcing starts move faster. The answer shapes the slate from day one: which engineers are realistic, how long the search will run, and what the offer conversation looks like at the end.
For founders
Decide the visa question before the first calibration call, not after the first great candidate needs an answer. Sponsorship widens the pool meaningfully, and it adds time and cost. Both postures are defensible. An undecided one is not.
For engineers
If you need sponsorship, say so in the first conversation. The searches that can support you exist, and a private conversation is the fastest way to find out which ones. Being explicit early costs you nothing and saves everyone weeks.
The visa question is not a hurdle at the end of a search. It is a scoping decision at the start of one.
That is the desk this week. If you are scoping a search or weighing a move, the conversation is private and it starts whenever you are ready.