AI Roles Dominate H-1B Hiring at Amazon in FY25

USCIS’s FY 2027 H-1B cap registration window is expected in early-to-mid March 2026, with selections typically posted by late March. Employers should treat February as the final preparation month, because key inputs like SOC coding, wage levels, and worksite details drive both registration accuracy and later petition approval.

📅 Key Date: Plan to complete job descriptions, SOC codes, and wage benchmarks by late February 2026 to be ready for March 2026 registration.

FY 2027 cap basics, and what changed in selection

The H-1B cap remains 85,000 total each year. That includes 65,000 under the regular cap and 20,000 under the U.S. master’s cap. Most private-sector hires, including many AI roles, are cap-subject.

USCIS now runs a beneficiary-centric selection. That means one registration per person, even if multiple employers submit entries. Multiple registrations for the same person do not increase selection odds. They can create fraud flags if filings look coordinated.

FY 2027 timeline (expected)

USCIS posts exact dates on its cap season page once announced. Employers should still work backward from March.

How competitive is the lottery right now

USCIS has not yet released FY 2027 registration totals as of February 13, 2026. Recent seasons still show why planning matters.

For context, FY 2026 saw about 442,000 registrations and selections of roughly 120,000 to reach the 85,000 cap. That implied a selection rate near 27%. Rates vary by year and by how many rounds USCIS runs.

For employees, this means one thing. A strong profile helps with approvals, but it does not change lottery odds.

Why AI roles are dominating H-1B hiring at top tech firms

A separate dataset is shaping how employers plan for H-1B hiring. In FY 2025, DOL records for the first three quarters showed that AI-related roles made up more than 80% of certified LCAs for new H-1B filings at Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Apple.

This dataset is not the lottery. It is also not final USCIS approvals. It is best read as a demand signal showing where large employers are concentrating sponsorship.

What an LCA is, and what it is not

A Labor Condition Application (LCA) is a Department of Labor filing. The employer attests to wage and working-condition rules. The LCA must be certified before the employer files an H-1B petition with USCIS.

An LCA certification does not mean:

• The worker was selected in the lottery
• USCIS approved the H-1B petition
• The person started work

It does mean the employer set a wage level, location, and SOC code. Those details often drive later USCIS scrutiny.

Why “software developer” overwhelms the baseline

At those five firms, software development roles were about 60% of certified LCAs. Across all U.S. employers, software roles were closer to 23%. That gap is consistent with large-scale AI platform work. It also reflects how companies staff data infrastructure and production engineering.

Top employers by approved H-1B petitions for initial employment in FY 2025

USCIS “approved initial employment” counts show which employers successfully got new H-1B hires approved. They do not show how many people were registered, selected, or denied.

In FY 2025, the top four tech employers by approved initial H-1B petitions were Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google, with Apple placed lower in the ranking. This ordering can change year to year based on hiring plans, internal transfers, and filing timing.

Two practical points matter for job seekers:

1. A high approval count usually means mature immigration operations and repeatable job templates.
2. It also means deep competition for the same roles, especially in AI and software tracks.

⚠️ Employer Alert: Do not treat approval rankings as a “safe list.” Each case still needs a defensible specialty occupation position and a wage that matches duties and location.

Amazon’s year-over-year context, and what it means for planning

Amazon’s approved initial employment numbers rose in FY 2025 compared to FY 2024, but remained below earlier peak years like FY 2022. That swing is normal.

Approvals move for reasons that are not visible in public totals:

• Business cycles and hiring freezes
• Reorganizations that change job titles and SOC mapping
• Filing timing, including use of premium processing
• Reclassification of roles into different job families

For candidates, the right takeaway is limited. Amazon remains a major H-1B sponsor, including for AI roles. You still need a role that fits specialty occupation rules and wage levels.

Role breakdown at the five firms, and why coding matters

The role mix in certified LCAs at these firms is dominated by:

• Software development
• Computer and information research
• Data science and analytics
• Business intelligence
• IT program and project work

“AI-related” can include ML engineering, applied research, data platforms, model evaluation, and MLOps. It can also include security and reliability roles tied to AI infrastructure.

Why SOC alignment affects RFEs

USCIS has increased scrutiny where the wage level and duties do not match. Level I (entry) wages are a common trigger when the job description reads like an experienced role.

Prevailing wage rules require the employer to pay the higher of:

• The prevailing wage for the SOC and location, or
• The employer’s actual wage for similar workers

Employees should ask which SOC code and wage level the employer used. That single detail shapes both compliance and the petition narrative.

💼 Employee Tip: Ask for the SOC code and worksite location before you accept an H-1B filing plan. Then confirm the wage range on flcdatacenter.com.

Investment trends driving AI hiring

Large AI-linked investments push demand beyond classic “data scientist” titles. Data centers, chips, cloud capacity, and model deployment create openings in:

• Distributed systems and storage
• Platform engineering and reliability
• MLOps and data governance
• Security engineering and compliance
• Applied research and product engineering

This pattern matters for H-1B hiring strategy. Specialized profiles are easier to defend as specialty occupations when the degree field, tools, and duties align.

Shifts in employer geography, and FY 2027 policy impacts to watch

Recent years show fewer Indian-headquartered firms in the top approval ranks. Several forces can contribute, including wage pressure, client-site scrutiny, and business model shifts.

Employers should also plan for FY 2027 policy and cost impacts:

• The beneficiary-centric selection remains in place.
• USCIS continues enhanced fraud checks.
• Specialty occupation review remains strict in entry-level cases.
• A $100,000 fee has been announced for certain petitions, effective September 2025, which can alter sponsorship budgets.

What happens after selection, and after non-selection

If selected

The employer files the full H-1B petition in the April 1 to June 30, 2026 window. The package includes the certified LCA, detailed job duties, and evidence of the worker’s degree match.

If approved, cap employment can start October 1, 2026. Travel may require visa stamping for many workers abroad. Canadian citizens are visa-exempt for stamping, but still need approval notices at entry.

If not selected

USCIS may run additional rounds if approvals fall short. If no later selection occurs, consider alternatives:

• Cap-exempt H-1B roles at universities, nonprofit research entities, or affiliated hospitals
• O-1 for extraordinary ability in research, publications, patents, or high-impact work
• L-1 for intracompany transfers after qualifying overseas employment
• TN for eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals
• STEM OPT extensions for eligible F-1 graduates

Projected FY 2028 timeline (early planning)

FY 2028 registration is expected in March 2027, with an October 1, 2027 start date. Employers with recurring H-1B hiring needs should build job templates and wage benchmarks by January each year.

Action items by audience

• Employers: finalize SOC codes, worksites, and wage levels by late February 2026. Prepare specialty occupation support letters for Level I roles. Track fee exposure, including the $100,000 rule where applicable.
• Employees: confirm your degree-to-role match, worksite address, and SOC code. Verify the offered pay meets at least the prevailing wage level for that area. Monitor selection updates in late March 2026.

📋 Official Resources: – H-1B Program: uscis.gov/h-1b-specialty-occupations – Cap Season: uscis.gov/h-1b-cap-season – Prevailing Wages: flcdatacenter.com