I think the poster might be a little naive about the H1-B process and how unattractive it is for small companies. Make no bones about it. Its a major hassle, and if you leave it to the company it will (usually) never happen.
So advice for people in the same boat in the future, If it is something you really want to do, then you need to know exactly how the process works at every step of the way and also have a really good Lawyer that the company can talk to if they have questions. They can help you if tricky things come up (and they will if the company applying for you is small enough).
I advise you not to go with a lawyer from a big firm, those guys just want to see dollars ... and if your case is small and tricky they will not be interested. trust me. Try to find an individual or small firm that is responsive and knows the ins and outs of the process far better than you ... if possible ask them to tell you the trickiest situation they've helped a client with before ... that should give you some idea of how good they are. Usually they can bill you for their time spent talking the company, or their lawyer down from the ledge (this will happen), or if they handle the process then you or the company can pay their fees.
Lay out the process when the company asks about it (because they will usually not know), let them know that its not complex, just a pain in the ass and that you will handle most of the legwork (you're prepared to do this right?) ... some people chip in to help with the fees if they're so inclined ... this is frowned upon and I think the law has been changed to make it illegal, use that information as you want.
Above all, be persistent, upbeat and constantly in touch, do not think that a company is going to jump through hoops to pay $5000 to get you. And remember that some of the requests that are made of the company (like tax returns etc) might cause them to stall, so be prepared for that.
It will come down to how bad you want it.
good luck
So advice for people in the same boat in the future, If it is something you really want to do, then you need to know exactly how the process works at every step of the way and also have a really good Lawyer that the company can talk to if they have questions. They can help you if tricky things come up (and they will if the company applying for you is small enough).
I advise you not to go with a lawyer from a big firm, those guys just want to see dollars ... and if your case is small and tricky they will not be interested. trust me. Try to find an individual or small firm that is responsive and knows the ins and outs of the process far better than you ... if possible ask them to tell you the trickiest situation they've helped a client with before ... that should give you some idea of how good they are. Usually they can bill you for their time spent talking the company, or their lawyer down from the ledge (this will happen), or if they handle the process then you or the company can pay their fees.
Lay out the process when the company asks about it (because they will usually not know), let them know that its not complex, just a pain in the ass and that you will handle most of the legwork (you're prepared to do this right?) ... some people chip in to help with the fees if they're so inclined ... this is frowned upon and I think the law has been changed to make it illegal, use that information as you want.
Above all, be persistent, upbeat and constantly in touch, do not think that a company is going to jump through hoops to pay $5000 to get you. And remember that some of the requests that are made of the company (like tax returns etc) might cause them to stall, so be prepared for that.
It will come down to how bad you want it. good luck