Understanding H-1B Visa Data

How H-1B Sponsorship Works

The H-1B visa allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree. The process has three stages:

1. LCA filing (DOL): The employer files a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor, attesting to the wage level and working conditions. This is what PlainVisa tracks.
2. H-1B petition (USCIS): After LCA certification, the employer files Form I-129 with US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
3. Lottery/adjudication: If the annual cap is exceeded (it usually is), USCIS conducts a random lottery. Cap-exempt employers (universities, research institutions) skip the lottery.

Browse all employers to see which companies file the most LCAs.

What LCA Data Shows

Each LCA filing contains detailed information that PlainVisa aggregates into searchable profiles:

• Employer patterns: Which companies sponsor the most workers, their certification rates, and how sponsorship has changed over time. Check any employer page.
• Occupation demand: Which job titles and SOC codes are most common in H-1B filings. Technology roles dominate, but healthcare, finance, and engineering are also significant. Browse by occupation.
• Geographic distribution: Where H-1B workers are placed. Major tech hubs (Bay Area, Seattle, New York) dominate, but sponsorship occurs in all 50 states. See state and metro breakdowns.
• Wage levels: What employers offer to pay, broken down by prevailing wage level (I through IV). This reveals whether employers are paying entry-level or experienced-level wages.

Using PlainVisa Data

PlainVisa is useful for several audiences:

• Job seekers needing sponsorship: Identify which companies actively sponsor H-1B workers and their certification rates. Higher volume = more likely to sponsor.
• Researchers and policymakers: Analyze sponsorship trends, wage levels, and geographic patterns across the entire H-1B program.
• US workers: Understand which occupations and metros have the most H-1B activity for labor market context.
• Employers: Benchmark wages and sponsorship patterns against competitors.

Use rankings to see top employers, highest-paying sponsors, and most active metros.

Wage Level Breakdown

The DOL requires employers to pay at least the prevailing wage, organized into four levels based on experience. Here is what each level typically means in practice:

Salary ranges are approximate and vary significantly by metro area. SWE = Software Engineer. Check employer-specific wages on PlainVisa employer pages.

Worked Example: Reading an Employer Profile

Consider a fictional employer "Acme Corp" in our database. Their profile shows 2,500 LCA filings with a 92% certification rate and $145,000 median salary for software engineers. The yearly trend shows filings increasing from 450 in FY2023 to 850 in FY2025, suggesting rapid headcount growth. Geographic distribution reveals 68% of filings in the San Francisco Bay Area, 22% in Seattle, and 10% across other metros. This pattern tells a job seeker: Acme is an established sponsor with above-market wages, primarily hiring in top-tier tech hubs, and growing aggressively.

Common Misinterpretations

• LCA count is not headcount: One LCA can cover multiple workers, and not all certified LCAs result in H-1B petitions. A company with 1,000 LCAs may have hired 800 or 400 workers.
• LCA salary is base pay only: Stock options, signing bonuses, and benefits are not captured. Total compensation at major tech companies is typically 30% ... 50% higher than LCA salary figures.
• High volume does not equal high quality: Companies filing many LCAs at Level I wages may be using the program for cheaper entry-level labor rather than recruiting top talent.

Frequently Asked Questions