Which network fits your background

Each network sets its own entry rules. Outlier asks for at least an associate degree (Outlier FAQ), Prolific asks where you live (Prolific participant FAQ), and Handshake AI asks about your work authorization (Handshake AI, work authorization eligibility). This lesson sets out what five networks say publicly about who can join, so you can rule out the ones that cannot take you before you spend time on an application. The rules are as the pages worded them on 2026-10-11, and the pages change.

Outlier

Outlier says you need at least an associate degree, and that certain projects require a bachelor’s, a master’s or a PhD depending on the complexity and specialization (Outlier FAQ).

To apply you need a valid ID and a mobile phone from your country of residence, a current resume, and a LinkedIn profile showing your education and work experience (Outlier FAQ).

Outlier does not offer visa sponsorship. If you hold a visa, it must permit work, and meeting the legal requirements is your responsibility (Outlier FAQ).

It reviews each resume against the minimum requirements for specific domains, which are listed alongside each opportunity, and describes its screening process as selective (Outlier FAQ). You work as an independent contractor, and you are not required to accept every project invitation, which Outlier says does not affect how many projects are made available to you (Outlier FAQ).

DataAnnotation

DataAnnotation says all workers need reliable internet access and fluency in English (DataAnnotation FAQ).

Its FAQ, rechecked on October 12, 2026, also lists a bachelor’s degree or equivalent real-world experience as the baseline requirement for generalist work (DataAnnotation FAQ).

You choose a qualification track when you sign up, by picking one of its specialized Starter Assessments. The tracks it lists are general, multilingual, coding, STEM and professional (DataAnnotation FAQ).

General projects need no coding experience. Coding projects require programming experience in languages such as Python or JavaScript. STEM projects require a master’s or PhD in mathematics, physics, biology or chemistry, or a bachelor’s degree plus 10 or more years of professional experience. Professional projects require licensed credentials in law, finance or medicine (DataAnnotation FAQ).

Mercor

Mercor’s application guide says the steps are to upload a resume, complete the required assessments and verify your work authorization, and that the steps can differ by role (Mercor, Apply for a Job).

Its assessments page says recommended assessments are chosen from your profile and resume, your domain or data-type expertise, and the active opportunities that need them. They appear only after you upload a resume (Mercor, Assessments).

Mercor pays through Stripe Connect, or through Wise in some countries, and publishes a list of the countries where it can pay experts (Mercor, Supported Countries for Payment).

Prolific

Prolific’s participant FAQ says you must be over 18, live in one of its supported countries, and create and verify an account. It is available in most OECD countries, except Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica (Prolific participant FAQ).

What counts is where you live, not your nationality: someone from an unsupported country who lives in a supported one can still join (Prolific participant FAQ).

New registrations go through a waitlist, which Prolific says it uses to keep a balance of participants across demographics and expertise (Prolific participant FAQ).

Handshake AI

Handshake AI requires you to be at least 18, with no parental consent route (Handshake AI, age requirement).

To join as a US person you need a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, and a valid US work authorization that Handshake can support. For international fellows, participation is currently invite-only (Handshake AI, work authorization eligibility).

Its work authorization page lists the statuses it supports, including US citizens and permanent residents, F-1 students on CPT or OPT, and several others. It lists J-1, H-1B and TN visa holders, and the F-1 STEM OPT extension, as unsupported, because most of those require an employer-employee relationship and Handshake AI operates under a contractor model (Handshake AI, work authorization eligibility).

Handshake’s own help centre is not consistent on this. The program introduction describes the program as open to US-based students and graduates with valid work or training authorization, and gives J-1 and H-1B as examples (Handshake AI, program introduction). When two pages disagree, the more specific one is the safer one to rely on, and Handshake’s support can settle a particular case.

Work must be done from within the United States and its territories. If you plan to work abroad you need written approval in advance, and VPNs, proxies, remote desktop tools and other location-masking tools are not permitted (Handshake AI, working from outside the US).

The program says it matches participants to projects by background, experience and project demand, and that assignments follow project needs and not personal preference (Handshake AI, program introduction).