# h1b-mcp

An MCP server that lets Claude answer H1B visa sponsorship questions using free public DOL data.

**Ask things like:**
- *"Does Google sponsor H1Bs?"*
- *"What's Amazon's H1B approval rate and top roles?"*
- *"Which companies in Austin sponsor H1Bs for Data Engineers?"*

## Tools

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `lookup_company` | Quick sponsorship check + certified/denied/withdrawn counts |
| `get_company_stats` | Approval rate, top 5 roles, avg annual wage, states |
| `search_sponsors` | Filter companies by job title, state, and/or city |

## Setup

### 1. Clone and install

```bash
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/h1b-mcp.git
cd h1b-mcp
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate      # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

### 2. Build the database (one-time, ~2-3 min)

```bash
python loader.py
```

This downloads the FY2024 Q2 DOL H1B LCA data (~50MB) and loads it into a local SQLite database.

### 3. Verify the database

```bash
python -c "import sqlite3; db = sqlite3.connect('h1b.db'); print(db.execute('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM lca_applications').fetchone())"
```

Should print a non-zero count (e.g., `(600000,)`).

### 4. Connect to Claude Desktop

Edit `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` (macOS) or `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` (Windows):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "h1b": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/h1b-mcp/server.py"]
    }
  }
}
```

**Important:** Use the absolute path to the venv Python, not bare `python`. To find it:

```bash
cd h1b-mcp && source venv/bin/activate && which python
```

### 5. Restart Claude Desktop and start asking

> *"Which companies in New York sponsor H1Bs for software engineers?"*

## Data Source

Public DOL LCA Disclosure Data (FY2024 Q2).
Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/performance

No API keys required. Data is a quarterly snapshot — re-run `loader.py` to refresh.

## Running Tests

```bash
source venv/bin/activate
pytest tests/ -v
```