How Jobright Uses AI to Help Foreign Workers Navigate the US Job Market

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Job searching can be overwhelming, especially for non-immigrants in the US. Not only do they have to compete with other candidates, but they also need to sift through numerous job postings to identify those that sponsor work visas. And if they lose their job, they only have 60 days to find another position before they have to leave the country.

The H-1B program, which randomly selects skilled foreigners to work in the US, is notoriously competitive. For the fiscal year of 2025, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received nearly half a million entries, but only 18% of applicants will receive a visa.

A California-based startup called Jobright.ai wants to make job searching easier for foreign workers in the US. The company's co-founder, Eric Cheng, an immigrant himself, knows firsthand the struggles of foreign workers, so he decided to build an "H1-B filter" into Jobright. The feature, which is based on USCIS data of companies that have historically offered H1-B visa sponsorships, has become an instant hit among job seekers from India and China.

"This group has long been overlooked," Cheng said. To date, around 30% of Jobright's users are foreign workers. And thanks to its H-1B filter, Jobright has amassed 50,000 registered users since its launch in April, without spending on marketing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheng traveled across China after selling his content collaboration SaaS company, where he met dozens of young people struggling to land jobs amid a global economic slowdown. Cheng ended up helping 10 of them secure jobs by asking about their skillsets and suggesting career options.

"They were talented, but their understanding of the job market was limited. They didn't know what jobs were out there and what they could possibly do," Cheng said. "What if they had a seasoned headhunter who knew them well and could recommend jobs that were beyond their knowledge? The arrival of ChatGPT gifted me the ability to build such a tool."

Image credit: Jobright

Leveraging large language models, Jobright created an AI agent that acts as a headhunter tailored to individual job seekers. The AI interprets candidates' experience and recommends jobs that they might not have otherwise considered. It scores positions based on their compatibility with the candidates, a feature used by 60% of Jobright's users every day. It also helps users search for LinkedIn contacts who would likely offer them a job referral by identifying their alumni or former co-workers.

Despite competing in the crowded AI-powered job search market, Jobright thinks it has found a niche. While it shares some features — like using AI to write resumes and fill out applications — with more established players, its target users are different.

"Most of our users are mid- to senior-level professionals with at least a couple of years of work experience," Cheng said. "Their challenge is not applying for more jobs, but finding personalized job search strategies and opportunities that align with their career stage and professional strengths."