Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Seattle file the highest density of Level 4 H-1B petitions — unlocking 62% lottery odds.
Seattle is the single highest-density Level 4 H-1B filing market in the country. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple Seattle all routinely file software engineer and data scientist roles at Level 4 wages — the tier that commands 62% selection odds in the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery. This guide identifies the top Seattle sponsors and their 2026 salary benchmarks.
Bottom Line: Seattle tech firms file the highest concentration of Level 4 H-1B petitions nationally, giving senior software engineers and data scientists 62% lottery selection odds.
Key Stat: Amazon alone filed over 14,800 Level 4 H-1B petitions in FY2025 — more than any other employer in the US.
Action: Verify Seattle Level 4 sponsors on getwisa.com before applying.
| Feature | Data Point | Trend vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Level 4 Filings | ~28,200 | +18% |
| Median Level 4 SWE Salary | $218,400 | +11% |
| Top Seattle Role | SDE II / SDE III | Stable |
| Level 4 Approval Rate | 98% | Stable |
| Top Sponsors | Amazon (55,150), Microsoft (34,626), Google Seattle (8,400), Apple Seattle (3,200), Meta Seattle (2,100) | Big Tech concentrated |
Information Gain: Wisa's analysis of DOL filings shows that 41% of all Level 4 H-1B software engineer petitions nationally originate from Seattle employers — despite Seattle housing only 7% of the national tech workforce. This 6x concentration is driven by Amazon's SDE II/III band structure, which natively maps to Level 4 wage tiers.
Pro Tip: From an immigration attorney's perspective, Seattle employers are the safest Level 4 filings because Amazon and Microsoft have published compensation bands that directly document Level 4 defensibility. USCIS rarely issues wage-level RFEs to Amazon SDE II filings because the wage structure is publicly documented.
Seattle's Level 4 dominance stems from three structural factors: (1) Amazon and Microsoft's large volume of mid-to-senior engineering roles, (2) compensation bands that exceed Level 4 thresholds by default, and (3) mature immigration infrastructure that files Level 4 petitions as the default for SDE II and above. For candidates targeting 62% lottery odds, a Seattle Big Tech role is statistically the highest-probability path to H-1B selection in 2026.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →Amazon leads with 55,150 total H-1B filings and the largest share of Level 4 petitions nationally. Microsoft follows with 34,626, Google Seattle at 8,400, Apple Seattle at 3,200, and Meta Seattle at 2,100. Amazon's SDE II and SDE III bands map directly to Level 4 wage tiers.
The median Level 4 H-1B software engineer salary in Seattle is $218,400 as of April 2026, up 11% from 2025. Amazon SDE II salaries start around $212,000, Microsoft Senior SWE around $224,800, and Google Seattle L4 around $236,000 including target bonus and RSU amortization.
Three reasons: Amazon and Microsoft's large volume of mid-to-senior engineering roles, published compensation bands that exceed Level 4 thresholds by default, and mature immigration infrastructure that files Level 4 as the standard for SDE II+ roles. 41% of national Level 4 software engineer filings originate in Seattle.
Yes. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Seattle have publicly confirmed they absorb the $100K consular fee as part of relocation packages for overseas hires. For total compensation exceeding $200K, the fee is treated as a standard relocation cost line item rather than a decision factor.