Fast Dolphin highlights nearshore savings as H-1B costs stay uncertain

Fast Dolphin says US employers facing a persistent tech talent shortage and unsettled H-1B fee rules can cut hiring costs by using nearshore teams in Latin America. The firm’s new report cites a 54% weighted average savings versus equivalent US hires and a faster path to vetted candidates.

Why it matters: - US technology employers are still dealing with a long-running labor gap and unpredictable visa costs. - Fast Dolphin argues nearshore hiring offers a more stable way to staff IT and engineering roles without waiting on H-1B policy outcomes. - The company says the model can reduce cost while keeping teams in overlapping time zones.

What happened: - Fast Dolphin, a nearshore IT and engineering staffing firm serving US companies since 2004, pointed to continued H-1B fee uncertainty and a persistent talent shortage as reasons employers are shifting work to Latin America. - The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 280,000 average annual job openings in computer and information technology occupations from 2025 through 2035. - A September 2025 presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions. - A federal court vacated that policy in June 2026, and an appeals court declined to reinstate it in July. - DHS has proposed a separate $103,265 fee on H-1B cap-subject petitions through formal rulemaking, with the public comment period open through September 24, 2026. - The underlying proclamation is set to expire in September 2026 unless extended.

The details: - Fast Dolphin’s Nearshore Cost Advantage Report is based on 367 senior IT and engineering placements in the company’s database since 2022. - The report benchmarks those placements against the fully loaded cost of equivalent US hires at the same seniority level. - The analysis found a weighted average savings of 54% per resource across five Latin American markets. - The company said the calculation includes the full 56% employer burden tied to a typical US salary, including payroll taxes, benefits, paid time off, recruiting, and turnover. - Fast Dolphin says its temporary staffing and contract-to-hire services can deliver a vetted shortlist of IT and engineering candidates within 24 to 48 hours after a scoping call. - The firm says it draws from a network of tens of thousands of professionals across Latin America. - Fast Dolphin said its services cover roles including SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Cloud, Data and AI, and engineering. - Fast Dolphin has legal entities in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Canada. - The company says its main services include temporary staffing and direct hire. - The report referenced by Fast Dolphin is available through the company’s announcement. - More information is available in the full report.

Between the lines: - Fast Dolphin is positioning nearshore staffing as a planning tool, not just a fallback when visa rules get messy. - The timing matters because employers may want staffing options that do not depend on the outcome of litigation or rulemaking. - The company is also framing speed as a competitive advantage, not just lower labor cost. - The message is aimed at buyers who have roles open now and cannot wait months for a traditional search.

What's next: - Employers can compare the cost of a US hire with nearshore options using the report’s role-by-role and country-by-country breakdown. - The H-1B policy environment remains unsettled through the September 24, 2026 comment deadline and the September 2026 expiration date for the underlying proclamation. - Fast Dolphin is likely to keep marketing nearshore staffing as an alternative for companies trying to hire specialized technical talent faster and with more cost certainty.

The bottom line: - Fast Dolphin is betting that US employers will choose predictable nearshore hiring over waiting for H-1B rules to settle.