I'd also like to put a warning (based on very personal experience) on just how easy it is to be messed around by the sponsoring company if you decide to go down the H1B route.

I did it in 1997 - 1998 and by the time I finished I ended up earning -$5000 (yes, that's a negative) on promised earnings of $35,000 after they failed to pay me my expenses (9 months of car rental and 6 months of subsidized living expenses), 2 months hotel, a bill that eventually hit me again 5 years later in the form of a debt collection agency and finally incorrect withholding.

So, the lesson here is tread very carefully and don't give the company an inch...

Rachel