Software engineers and developers have consistently made up 20–30% of all H-1B petitions. The occupation naturally fits the H-1B framework: it requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field; it pays well enough to meet prevailing wage requirements; and US employers have genuine demand that outpaces the supply of US citizen graduates.
But this dominance also means intense competition. With the wage-based lottery weighting introduced in FY2025, a software engineer paid $150,000+ in San Francisco has meaningfully better lottery odds than one paid $90,000 in a smaller market. Understanding the system gives you leverage to optimize your positioning.
In recent lottery cycles, USCIS received 400,000–750,000 registrations for 85,000 available slots (65,000 regular cap + 20,000 US advanced degree exemption). This yields raw selection rates of roughly 14–20% per cycle. But the wage-based lottery system changes the distribution:
| Wage Tier | Annual Salary Range | Lottery Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 4 (Highest) | $250,000+ | Highest selection priority |
| Tier 3 | $150,000–$249,999 | High selection priority |
| Tier 2 | $100,000–$149,999 | Standard priority |
| Tier 1 (Lowest) | Below $100,000 | Lowest—selected last after higher tiers fill slots |
| Company | Annual H-1B Filings | Approval Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | ~20,000+ | High | Largest H-1B filer; strong immigration team |
| Infosys | ~18,000+ | High | Primarily consulting placements |
| TCS (Tata) | ~15,000+ | High | Large IT services; extensive OPT hiring |
| Cognizant | ~12,000+ | High | IT consulting and outsourcing |
| ~8,000+ | Very High | Best-in-class immigration support | |
| Microsoft | ~7,000+ | Very High | Strong sponsor; diverse roles |
| Meta | ~5,000+ | Very High | Competitive but excellent sponsorship |
| Wipro | ~5,000+ | High | IT services; global mobility |
USCIS has issued RFEs on software engineer petitions arguing that "software developer" is too broad to establish that a bachelor's degree in a specific field is always required. A strong H-1B petition for SWE roles must include:
Your immigration attorney will prepare this—but you need to provide them with detailed, accurate job duty descriptions. Vague descriptions result in RFEs that delay your start date and require additional evidence gathering.
The DOL prevailing wage for software developers (SOC 15-1252) varies significantly by location and wage level:
| Metro Area | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $120K | $155K | $185K | $220K+ |
| Seattle, WA | $110K | $140K | $170K | $210K+ |
| New York, NY | $105K | $135K | $165K | $200K+ |
| Austin, TX | $85K | $110K | $135K | $165K |
| Chicago, IL | $88K | $112K | $138K | $170K |
| Atlanta, GA | $78K | $100K | $122K | $150K |
| Phoenix, AZ | $75K | $95K | $118K | $145K |
| Indianapolis, IN | $65K | $82K | $100K | $125K |
Note: These are approximate figures based on current DOL data. Verify exact wages at the DOL FLAG system before filing.
For most international software engineers in the US on F-1/OPT, the typical path looks like this:
Balaji built H1B Visa Jobs to help international software engineers navigate the H-1B process. He tracks USCIS policy changes, lottery statistics, and employer sponsorship data.