New U.S. Department of Labor data for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 shows employers received certification for 830,710 positions through the Labor Condition Application programs covering H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 workers.
Technology-related occupations account for the largest categories in the new data. Software developers accounted for 241,846 positions, or 29.1% of the total, followed by electronics engineers, data scientists, information technology project managers, and software quality assurance analysts and testers. The data was released by the Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification on August 14.
Software Developers Lead the List
According to the newly released data, software developers represented the largest occupational category, with 241,846 certified positions.
Other leading occupations included:
- Electronics engineers: 62,170
- Data scientists: 30,973
- Information technology project managers: 28,058
- Software quality-assurance analysts and testers: 24,743
Together, those five occupations account for 387,790 certified positions.
The figures come from the DOL’s LCA program, which covers H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 temporary specialty occupations. The department released its Q3 public disclosure data and selected program statistics Friday.
The Labor Department’s Foreign Labor Certification performance-data page provides the underlying disclosure files and statistical reports for the programs.
Major Technology Employers Account for Thousands of Positions
The newly released data also identifies large numbers of certified positions associated with major technology companies.
The figures show:
- Cognizant: 79,121 positions
- Qualcomm: 71,203
- Amazon: 45,025
The numbers represent positions covered by certified LCAs, not a count of visas ultimately issued, or a headcount of foreign workers employed by each company.
That distinction is important when interpreting the data.
What an LCA Certification Means
An LCA is a required part of the process for employers seeking to employ workers under the H-1B program and related H-1B1 and E-3 programs.
The Labor Department’s LCA guidance states that employers submit Form ETA-9035 or ETA-9035E to attest to compliance with requirements governing the employment of foreign workers. Once an LCA is certified, the employer can use it as part of the subsequent immigration process.
An LCA certification, therefore, does not mean that DOL has issued an H-1B visa.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services separately adjudicates H-1B petitions. A certified LCA also does not establish that a foreign worker ultimately entered the United States or that the position would otherwise have been filled by a U.S. worker.
The Programs Have Different Rules
The LCA data covers three specialty-occupation programs: H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The H-1B program allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations; H-1B1 covers qualifying workers from Chile and Singapore; and E-3 covers qualifying workers from Australia.
The number of LCA-certified positions should not be directly compared with the annual H-1B visa cap. Congress limits the H-1B category to 65,000 visas annually, plus 20,000 additional visas for certain workers with U.S. advanced degrees, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. An LCA certification is part of the employment-visa process and does not itself constitute issuance of an H-1B visa.
LCA filings can also involve existing H-1B workers rather than only newly counted workers subject to the annual cap. The DOL’s H-1B portability guidance explains that an H-1B worker employed under a valid LCA can accept new employment after the prospective employer files the required petition.
The DOL’s H-1B guidance also states that employers seeking to hire new H-1B workers or obtain an extension of status must file new LCAs and petitions.
The Technology Labor Market Is Still Growing
The new DOL figures come as federal labor projections show continued demand for many technology occupations.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of software developers, quality-assurance analysts, and testers will grow 15% from 2024 through 2034, with approximately 287,900 additional jobs projected across the occupation group. Software-developer employment alone is projected to increase 16%, or 267,700 jobs.
BLS projects even faster growth for data scientists. The agency’s latest employment projections show data-scientist employment increasing 33.5% from 2024 to 2034, representing approximately 82,500 additional jobs.
The projections show continued demand for technology workers, but they do not by themselves establish whether employers are unable to find qualified U.S. workers for individual positions.
What the New Numbers Do — and Do Not — Show
The DOL’s latest release provides a significant amount of information about where employers are seeking foreign workers through the LCA system.
The numbers show particularly heavy demand for software developers and other technology occupations. They also show that several large technology companies account for substantial numbers of certified positions.
But the data alone cannot determine how many of those positions ultimately resulted in a visa, how many foreign workers actually began employment, or whether a qualified U.S. worker was available for any particular position.
Those questions require additional information about individual employers, recruiting efforts, applicants, qualifications, wages, and hiring decisions.
What is now clear, however, is that the 830,710 figure is based on newly released FY2026 Q3 Department of Labor data, rather than the earlier, incomplete Q2 information that had been available before Friday’s release. The Labor Department announced the Q3 release on August 14.
The new data puts software developers at nearly three out of every 10 certified positions, making technology employment a central component of the latest foreign-worker certification figures.
Provided by Dallas Express
