Machine Learning Engineer at Meta — H-1B Wage Level, PERM Record & Green Card Timeline
By Pinal Dave | Last updated: 2026-08-03
A Machine Learning Engineer hired by Meta in the U.S. on an H-1B typically follows the same modeled path: Meta files an LCA at a specific DOL wage level, USCIS adjudicates the H-1B petition, Meta 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, Meta certified 6,627 LCAs with an average proffered wage of $205,334 against an average certified prevailing wage of $147,870 — offered wage runs 38.9% above prevailing. Meta's top disclosed LCA titles for FY2025 did not isolate a line item literally labeled "Machine Learning Engineer"; "Research Scientist" (1,219 positions) is the closest disclosed proxy, so this page is flagged needs-review.
| Metric | Meta |
|---|---|
| Certified LCAs (FY2025) | 6,627 |
| Average H-1B proffered wage | $205,334 |
| Average certified prevailing wage | $147,870 |
| Top disclosed job titles | Software Engineer (8,268), Research Scientist (1,219), Data Scientist (748), Data Engineer (666), Production Engineer (380) |
| Top worksites | Menlo Park, CA (7,343), Bellevue, WA (2,159), New York, NY (1,869), Sunnyvale, CA (1,005), Seattle, WA (956) |
| PERM labor certifications filed | 6,627 |
| FY2025 initial-employment approvals | 1,555 (up from 920 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 (Meta ranked 6th-largest H-1B sponsor overall, designated H-1B-dependent); 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, $205,334 avg) → H-1B petition adjudicated 1-6 months (Meta FY2025 denial rate ~1%) → PERM certification, national median ~472 days → 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 Amazon, Data Engineer at Meta, Senior Software Engineer at Meta.
FAQs
Q: Does Meta sponsor H-1B visas for Machine Learning Engineer roles? Meta filed 6,627 certified LCAs in FY2025; Research Scientist (1,219 positions) is the closest disclosed proxy for ML work — a literal "Machine Learning Engineer" title wasn't in the top-5 disclosed titles (needs-review).
Q: What does Meta pay a Machine Learning Engineer on H-1B? Company-wide average H-1B wage $205,334 vs. average prevailing wage $147,870 (38.9% 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 Meta? National PERM median ~472 days, I-140 ~3.7 months, then Visa Bulletin wait by chargeability; Meta filed 6,627 PERM cases in the period reviewed.
Q: Is Meta an H-1B-dependent employer? Yes — Meta is designated H-1B-dependent and the 6th-largest H-1B sponsor overall, which brings additional attestation and recruitment obligations.
Q: What is Meta's H-1B denial rate? 1% in FY2025 (1,555 approvals, up from 920 in FY2024), below the 2.8% national average.
Q: Does the EB-2/EB-3 choice change the wait for a Machine Learning Engineer at Meta? 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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