How to read DOL LCA data to find H-1B-friendly employers

The Department of Labor publishes H-1B Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) quarterly. Every time a US employer wants to hire an H-1B worker, they file an LCA. This is public data, and it's one of the most useful tools for international students trying to identify employers who actually sponsor.

Here's how to read it and use it in your job search.

What is an LCA?

An LCA (Labor Condition Application) is filed with the Department of Labor before an employer can petition USCIS for an H-1B worker. It states: the job title, prevailing wage, work location, and employer details. The DOL approves or denies it, and makes all filings public.

Where to find the data

The DOL publishes quarterly LCA disclosure data at dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor. The files are large Excel spreadsheets. You can also use aggregation tools that have parsed the raw data.

What to look for

Focus on: employer name, job title, period of employment, and case status. Employers who have filed dozens of LCAs for roles matching your target title are good candidates. Employers with zero LCAs may still sponsor (not all H-1B uses require an LCA), but it's a signal worth noting.

What Landvaya does with this data

We cross-reference LCA filings with USCIS petition data and run it against every job posting we evaluate. The result: you only see jobs at employers with a track record of sponsoring for your role category.