Does Southwest Airlines sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes — Southwest Airlines Co. filed 265 H-1B and E-3 labor condition applications that the US Department of Labor certified between 1 October 2023 and 30 June 2026, 40 of them in FY2026 (to 30 Jun). It also had 54 PERM labor certifications (the first step of most employer-sponsored green cards) certified in the same period.
Southwest Airlines Co.
- Certified LCAs, FY2024–FY2026
- 265
- Certified, FY2026 (to 30 Jun)
- 40
- Denied LCAs
- 1
- PERM certified
- 54
- Most-filed title
- Sr. Software Engineer
- Its median offered wage
- $149,781
- Employer state on filings
- Texas
- Distinct certified titles
- 58
Southwest Airlines H-1B filings by fiscal year
Labor condition applications decided in each US fiscal year (1 October to 30 September). FY2026 (to 30 Jun) covers decisions to 30 June 2026 only. Worker positions is the most workers the certified applications may cover, as declared by the employer, not a count of people hired. Some employers file blanket applications covering up to 100 positions each, which inflates this figure.
| Fiscal year | Certified | Certified, later withdrawn | Denied | Withdrawn | Worker positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 103 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 103 |
| FY2025 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 122 |
| FY2026 (to 30 Jun) | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Total | 265 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 265 |
Southwest Airlines H-1B salaries by job title
The 15 most-filed of 58 distinct job titles on certified LCAs. Wages are the offered "rate of pay from" on each application, annualised (hourly × 2,080), not actual pay. "Middle 50%" is the 25th to 75th percentile.
| Job title as filed | Certified filings | Median wage | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sr. Software Engineer | 62 | $149,781 | $140k–$150k |
| Sr. System Engineer | 41 | $149,781 | $136k–$150k |
| Software Engineer | 18 | $120,328 | $108k–$130k |
| Sr Technology Analyst | 18 | $127,577 | $117k–$136k |
| Tech Lead Software Engineer | 18 | $149,781 | $150k–$150k |
| System Engineer | 10 | $116,979 | $111k–$127k |
| Solutions Architect | 9 | $154,856 | $144k–$157k |
| Sr. Data Engineer | 8 | $140,619 | $130k–$146k |
| Sr. Product Owner | 6 | $139,307 | $136k–$145k |
| Sr. DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR | 4 | $136,417 | $134k–$145k |
| Tech Lead Cloud DevOps Engineer | 4 | $153,390 | $150k–$157k |
| Tech Lead Data Engineer | 4 | $144,623 | $139k–$152k |
| Senior-System Engineer | 3 | $139,464 | $128k–$145k |
| Sr Cloud DevOps Engineer | 3 | $149,781 | $145k–$153k |
| Asst. Mgr. MXP Programs | 2 | $143,999 | $140k–$148k |
Where the jobs are
Worksite state on certified LCAs (top 2).
| Worksite state | Certified filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 264 |
| Illinois | 1 |
Visa classes
All LCA filings by visa class, any status. H-1B1 is for citizens of Chile and Singapore; E-3 for Australians.
| Visa class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 265 |
| E-3 Australian | 2 |
Does Southwest Airlines sponsor green cards?
It also had 54 PERM labor certifications (the first step of most employer-sponsored green cards) certified in the same period. A certified PERM application means the Department of Labor accepted the employer's labor-market test; the worker still needs an approved I-140 petition and a green card from USCIS.
| Fiscal year | Certified | Denied | Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| FY2025 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| FY2026 (to 30 Jun) | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| PERM job title | Certified | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sr. Software Engineer | 10 | $150,119 |
| Sr. System Engineer | 7 | $152,646 |
| Senior Software Engineer | 4 | $156,784 |
| Software Engineer | 4 | $128,860 |
| Senior Data Engineer | 2 | $142,229 |
| Senior Product Owner | 2 | $146,351 |
| Sr. System Engineer (Multiple Openings) | 2 | $132,933 |
| Systems Engineer | 2 | $140,463 |
| Assistant Manager | 1 | $164,190 |
| Digital Product Owner | 1 | $107,349 |
UK sponsor licence
We found no organisation with a matching name on the UK Home Office register of licensed worker sponsors (9 October 2026). A UK subsidiary trading under a different name may still hold a licence.
How to read these numbers
- An LCA is the first step
- Before filing an H-1B, H-1B1 or E-3 petition, the employer files a labor condition application (LCA) with the Department of Labor, stating the job, worksite and the wage it will pay.
- Certified is not a visa
- A certified LCA means the Department of Labor accepted the wage attestation. It is not an approved petition or an issued visa, and it does not mean the role is still open or that the employer will sponsor you.
- Counts are applications
- One LCA can cover several workers, and employers often file more LCAs than they use (for example for the H-1B lottery or a worksite change). Read the totals as a measure of sponsorship activity, not of hires.
Questions
Does Southwest Airlines sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes — Southwest Airlines Co. filed 265 H-1B and E-3 labor condition applications that the US Department of Labor certified between 1 October 2023 and 30 June 2026, 40 of them in FY2026 (to 30 Jun). It also had 54 PERM labor certifications (the first step of most employer-sponsored green cards) certified in the same period.
What does Southwest Airlines pay H-1B workers?
On its certified LCAs, Southwest Airlines Co.'s most-filed title was Sr. Software Engineer (62 filings), with a median offered wage of $149,781 a year and the middle half between $139,742 and $149,781. These are wages the employer stated on the application, not actual pay.
Does Southwest Airlines sponsor green cards?
It also had 54 PERM labor certifications (the first step of most employer-sponsored green cards) certified in the same period.
Is Southwest Airlines a licensed UK visa sponsor?
We found no organisation with a matching name on the UK Home Office register of licensed worker sponsors (9 October 2026). A UK subsidiary trading under a different name may still hold a licence.
Check any company, or get their live jobs tagged with sponsorship evidence.
Look up Southwest Airlines alongside any other employer, or pull their open roles from Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Personio and Teamtailor with each job tagged by how often the employer filed for a similar title, and the wage it offered.