Machine Learning Engineer at Amazon — H-1B Wage Level, PERM Record & Green Card Timeline
By Pinal Dave | Last updated: 2026-08-03
A Machine Learning Engineer hired by Amazon in the U.S. on an H-1B typically follows the same modeled path: Amazon files an LCA at a specific DOL wage level, USCIS adjudicates the H-1B petition, Amazon later files a PERM labor certification, and the applicant's chargeability country determines the Visa Bulletin wait before I-485 filing. Based on FY2025 DOL OFLC disclosure data, Amazon certified 15,494 LCAs with an average proffered wage of $157,076 against an average certified prevailing wage of $123,040 — offered wage runs 27.7% above prevailing. Amazon's top disclosed LCA titles for FY2025 did not isolate a line item literally labeled "Machine Learning Engineer"; "Business Intelligence Engineer II" (1,442 positions) is the closest disclosed proxy, so this page is flagged needs-review.
| Metric | Amazon |
|---|---|
| Certified LCAs (FY2025) | 15,494 |
| Average H-1B proffered wage | $157,076 |
| Average certified prevailing wage | $123,040 |
| Top disclosed job titles | Software Development Engineer II (6,440), Software Development Engineer I (3,594), Software Development Engineer III (2,011), Business Intelligence Engineer II (1,442), Data Engineer II (942) |
| Top worksites | Seattle, WA (14,455), Bellevue, WA (5,775), Sunnyvale, CA (3,426), Austin, TX (2,870), New York, NY (2,636) |
| PERM labor certifications filed | 1 in the most recent period — a sharp decline from prior years |
| FY2025 initial-employment approvals | 4,644 (up from 3,871 in FY2024) |
| FY2025 denial rate | 1% |
Sources: DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data (via myvisajobs.com), FY2025; DOL OFLC PERM disclosure data (via tryalma.com), FY2024 (national median 472 days); USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub via NFAP Nov 2025 (Amazon is the largest H-1B sponsor overall by volume; continuing-employment approvals 14,532, 1% denial); U.S. Dept of State August 2026 Visa Bulletin; USCIS processing times via manifestlaw.com, July 2026. Data as of 2026-08-03.
Visa Bulletin (August 2026): EB-2 India Unavailable (U) / China Sept 1 2021 / ROW Current. EB-3 India Jan 1 2014 / China Jan 1 2022 / ROW Sept 1 2024.
USCIS processing times: I-140 ~3.7 months median regular (15 business days premium); I-485 employment-based 8.5–36.5 months (P80).
Modeled timeline: Offer & LCA (Day 0-7, $157,076 avg) → H-1B petition adjudicated 1-6 months (Amazon FY2025 denial rate ~1%) → PERM certification, national median ~472 days (Amazon's own PERM filing volume has dropped sharply) → I-140 filed, ~3.7 months → priority date must clear Visa Bulletin cutoffs above → I-485 filed once current, 8.5-36.5 months.
Sibling pages: Machine Learning Engineer at Google, Machine Learning Engineer at Meta, DevOps Engineer at Amazon, Data Engineer at Meta.
FAQs
Q: Does Amazon sponsor H-1B visas for Machine Learning Engineer roles? Amazon filed 15,494 certified LCAs in FY2025; Business Intelligence Engineer II (1,442 positions) is the closest disclosed proxy for ML-adjacent work — a literal "Machine Learning Engineer" title wasn't in the top-6 disclosed titles (needs-review).
Q: What does Amazon pay a Machine Learning Engineer on H-1B? Company-wide average H-1B wage $157,076 vs. average prevailing wage $123,040 (27.7% gap); actual pay depends on wage level and metro.
Q: How long does the green card process take after a Machine Learning Engineer offer from Amazon? National PERM median ~472 days, I-140 ~3.7 months, then Visa Bulletin wait by chargeability; Amazon's own PERM certifications have dropped to just 1 in the most recent period reviewed, a sharp decline from prior years.
Q: Is Amazon an H-1B-dependent employer? Not flagged as H-1B-dependent in the profile reviewed, despite being the largest H-1B sponsor overall by volume.
Q: What is Amazon's H-1B denial rate? 1% in FY2025 (4,644 approvals, up from 3,871 in FY2024), below the 2.8% national average; continuing-employment approvals run even higher at 14,532 with a 1% denial rate.
Q: Does the EB-2/EB-3 choice change the wait for a Machine Learning Engineer at Amazon? Often yes — EB-3 India is ahead of EB-2 India in the current Visa Bulletin.
VisaSherpa.ai's AI immigration planner builds your personalized version of this timeline.
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