QA Engineer at Cisco — H-1B Wage Level, PERM Record & Green Card Timeline
By Pinal Dave | Last updated: 2026-08-03
A QA Engineer hired by Cisco in the U.S. on an H-1B typically follows the same modeled path: Cisco files an LCA at a specific DOL wage level, USCIS adjudicates the H-1B petition, Cisco 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, Cisco certified 1,246 LCAs with an average proffered wage of $179,856 against an average certified prevailing wage of $159,724 — offered wage runs 12.6% above prevailing. "Software QA Engineer" is a directly disclosed Cisco LCA title (100 positions).
| Metric | Cisco |
|---|---|
| Certified LCAs (FY2025) | 1,246 |
| Average H-1B proffered wage | $179,856 |
| Average certified prevailing wage | $159,724 |
| Top disclosed job titles | Software Engineer (505), Software Engineering Technical Leader (121), Technical Consulting Engineer (103), Software QA Engineer (100), Engineering Product Manager (92) |
| Top worksites | San Jose, CA (924), San Francisco, CA (310), Research Triangle Park, NC (294), Richardson, TX (249), Morrisville, NC (195) |
| PERM labor certifications filed | 381 |
| FY2025 initial-employment approvals | 184 |
| FY2025 denial rate | Not separately disclosed; national rate 2.8% |
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; 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, $179,856 avg) → H-1B petition adjudicated 1-6 months (Cisco's denial rate not separately disclosed, national 2.8% used as proxy) → 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: QA Engineer at TCS, QA Engineer at Capgemini America, QA Engineer at Infosys, DevOps Engineer at Cisco.
FAQs
Q: Does Cisco sponsor H-1B visas for QA Engineer roles? Yes — "Software QA Engineer" is directly disclosed with 100 positions among Cisco's 1,246 FY2025 certified LCAs.
Q: What does Cisco pay a QA Engineer on H-1B? Company-wide average H-1B wage $179,856 vs. average prevailing wage $159,724 (12.6% gap); actual pay depends on wage level and metro.
Q: How long does the green card process take after a QA Engineer offer from Cisco? National PERM median ~472 days, I-140 ~3.7 months, then Visa Bulletin wait by chargeability; Cisco filed 381 PERM cases in the period reviewed.
Q: Is Cisco an H-1B-dependent employer? Not flagged as H-1B-dependent in the profile reviewed.
Q: What is Cisco's H-1B denial rate? Not separately disclosed in the NFAP FY2025 table reviewed (184 approvals); national rate 2.8% used as proxy.
Q: Does the EB-2/EB-3 choice change the wait for a QA Engineer at Cisco? 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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