Green Card Apprentice Mechanic Jobs
Apprentice Mechanic jobs with green card sponsorship are available through employers willing to file PERM labor certification, then sponsor an I-140 petition leading to lawful permanent residency. Most roles qualify under EB-3 skilled worker, requiring at least two years of verified mechanical experience and a prevailing wage offer.
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Get Access To All JobsDate: Nov 11, 2026
Location: NO PLATTE, NE, US, 68000
Reference Number: 4303
Department: Mechanical
Closing Date: Apply early as this job may be filled at any time.
Most communications will be done electronically. Please check email, including spam folders, daily.
If you wish to solicit an employee referral for this position, please ensure the employee submits the referral prior to submitting your application.
Rate of Pay: $35.31 per hour
Description
Join a team of Apprentice Diesel Mechanics who have been repairing a fleet of locomotives with Union Pacific over 150 years! Our apprentices inspect, diagnose issues, repair, and maintain the engine and mechanical components of diesel-electric locomotives, while working in and around our locomotive shops. We are powered by our people, will you join our team?
Accountabilities
- Conduct job briefings to ensure safe and effective coordination of activities and keep assigned work areas, tools, and equipment clean and in proper working order
- Repair, replace, or rebuild locomotive and diesel engine components as needed
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, contractors and/or customers and effectively handle controversy
- Prepare equipment and materials as needed, and efficiently operate the equipment including the following: measuring instruments (micrometers, tape measures, dial calipers); precision machines (drill and punch presses bench lathes); hand tools (drills, wrenches, grinders); and material handling equipment
- Diagnose diesel engine, air compressor, and other locomotive mechanical system malfunctions
- Communicate technical information, job briefing information, job procedure recommendations, and other work-related information through writing, in-person interaction, telephone, radio, and intercom
- Perform other duties as assigned
- Read, interpret, understand, and find written or electronic information from diagrams, schematics, blueprints, graphs, and charts, and input information as needed into a computer
- Inspect and service the diesel locomotive fleet in compliance with company, federal and industry standards
Qualifications - Required
- Basic keyboarding skills
- Ability to use both low precision (tape measure, hand level) AND high precision (caliper, electronic scale) instruments to get accurate measurements
- Valid driver's license
- Able to effectively work independently and in group settings
- Proficient verbal and written communication skills to deliver information to coworker(s) and supervisor(s)
- Able to extract relevant information from tables, charts, graphs, and text
- Able to perform basic arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and conversion of fractions into decimals and decimals into fractions to solve practical problems
- Able to take initiative and take responsibility for the timely and quality completion of one's tasks. Need to be open to change
- Able to understand and apply basic mechanical principles to solve mechanical problems
- Experience reading and understanding instructions (examples may include: operating and safety rules, bulletins, special instructions, and federal regulatory documents)
Qualifications - Preferred
Physical and Mental Job Requirements
Work Conditions
What we offer:
- A strengths-based, engagement-focused, and performance-oriented culture
- Ongoing learning, development, and Educational Assistance (including little to no out-of-pocket cost for online and in-person courses at the University of Nebraska at Omaha)
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 40% match up to 5% (contribute 5% and UP will contribute 2%)
- Medical, dental and vision insurance, which are collectively bargained for through union membership
- Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs
Background Check Investigation
Medical Review
Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation
Date: Nov 11, 2026
Location: NO PLATTE, NE, US, 68000
Reference Number: 4303
Department: Mechanical
Closing Date: Apply early as this job may be filled at any time.
Most communications will be done electronically. Please check email, including spam folders, daily.
If you wish to solicit an employee referral for this position, please ensure the employee submits the referral prior to submitting your application.
Rate of Pay: $35.31 per hour
Description
Join a team of Apprentice Diesel Mechanics who have been repairing a fleet of locomotives with Union Pacific over 150 years! Our apprentices inspect, diagnose issues, repair, and maintain the engine and mechanical components of diesel-electric locomotives, while working in and around our locomotive shops. We are powered by our people, will you join our team?
Accountabilities
- Conduct job briefings to ensure safe and effective coordination of activities and keep assigned work areas, tools, and equipment clean and in proper working order
- Repair, replace, or rebuild locomotive and diesel engine components as needed
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, contractors and/or customers and effectively handle controversy
- Prepare equipment and materials as needed, and efficiently operate the equipment including the following: measuring instruments (micrometers, tape measures, dial calipers); precision machines (drill and punch presses bench lathes); hand tools (drills, wrenches, grinders); and material handling equipment
- Diagnose diesel engine, air compressor, and other locomotive mechanical system malfunctions
- Communicate technical information, job briefing information, job procedure recommendations, and other work-related information through writing, in-person interaction, telephone, radio, and intercom
- Perform other duties as assigned
- Read, interpret, understand, and find written or electronic information from diagrams, schematics, blueprints, graphs, and charts, and input information as needed into a computer
- Inspect and service the diesel locomotive fleet in compliance with company, federal and industry standards
Qualifications - Required
- Basic keyboarding skills
- Ability to use both low precision (tape measure, hand level) AND high precision (caliper, electronic scale) instruments to get accurate measurements
- Valid driver's license
- Able to effectively work independently and in group settings
- Proficient verbal and written communication skills to deliver information to coworker(s) and supervisor(s)
- Able to extract relevant information from tables, charts, graphs, and text
- Able to perform basic arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and conversion of fractions into decimals and decimals into fractions to solve practical problems
- Able to take initiative and take responsibility for the timely and quality completion of one's tasks. Need to be open to change
- Able to understand and apply basic mechanical principles to solve mechanical problems
- Experience reading and understanding instructions (examples may include: operating and safety rules, bulletins, special instructions, and federal regulatory documents)
Qualifications - Preferred
Physical and Mental Job Requirements
Work Conditions
What we offer:
- A strengths-based, engagement-focused, and performance-oriented culture
- Ongoing learning, development, and Educational Assistance (including little to no out-of-pocket cost for online and in-person courses at the University of Nebraska at Omaha)
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 40% match up to 5% (contribute 5% and UP will contribute 2%)
- Medical, dental and vision insurance, which are collectively bargained for through union membership
- Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs
Background Check Investigation
Medical Review
Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation
See all Green Card Apprentice Mechanic Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Green Card Apprentice Mechanic Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as an Apprentice Mechanic
Document your mechanical training and certifications
Gather transcripts, apprenticeship completion certificates, and employer letters that confirm at least two years of hands-on mechanical experience. USCIS and DOL review these during PERM and I-140 adjudication, so gaps or vague descriptions slow the case down.
Target shops already familiar with PERM filing
Fleet maintenance contractors, dealership groups, and heavy-equipment operators with existing foreign workers on staff have already navigated the DOL recruitment test. Approaching them reduces the risk that your case stalls because the employer is unfamiliar with prevailing wage requirements.
Search Migrate Mate for green card sponsoring employers
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with verified employment-based green card sponsorship history in the trades. Narrowing your search to mechanics and technicians shows which companies have completed the full PERM-to-I-140 pipeline rather than just advertising open positions.
Verify the prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
Run the offered wage against the OFLC Wage Search for the correct SOC code and work location. If the offer falls below the DOL-required prevailing wage, the employer must increase it before filing PERM or the application will be denied on wage grounds.
Ask your employer about priority date retention early
Once your original I-140 is approved, that priority date can transfer to a new employer's petition under AC21 portability rules. Knowing this before you sign protects you if you need to change employers while your I-485 is pending beyond 180 days.
Prepare for the DOL recruitment test documentation
PERM requires your employer to run a genuine recruitment effort and document why U.S. workers were not available. You can help by providing O*NET-aligned job duty descriptions that match your actual role, making it harder for the DOL to find a discrepancy during audit.
Green Card Apprentice Mechanic: Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employer sponsor an Apprentice Mechanic for a green card, or is this role too entry-level?
Yes. Apprentice Mechanic roles typically qualify under EB-3 skilled worker, which covers positions requiring at least two years of training or experience. The employer must demonstrate through PERM labor certification that no qualified U.S. worker was available, then file an I-140 petition with USCIS. Entry-level framing does not automatically disqualify a role; the two-year experience threshold is what matters.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for a mechanic?
H-1B visa sponsorship is a temporary work visa requiring a specialty occupation with a bachelor's degree, which most mechanic roles do not meet. Green card sponsorship through EB-3 is permanent and suited to skilled trades. It involves PERM labor certification with the Department of Labor, an I-140 petition with USCIS, and then adjustment of status or consular processing. There is no lottery, but per-country priority date backlogs can apply depending on your nationality.
How do I find employers willing to go through the full PERM process for a mechanic role?
Search Migrate Mate to identify employers with a confirmed history of employment-based green card sponsorship in the trades. Many mechanics find success with fleet operators, municipal transit authorities, and equipment dealers that regularly sponsor foreign workers and already have immigration counsel familiar with the DOL prevailing wage determination and recruitment documentation requirements.
What happens to my green card case if I change employers mid-process?
If your I-485 adjustment of status application has been pending for at least 180 days and your original I-140 was approved, AC21 portability allows you to move to a new employer in the same or a similar occupation without losing your place in the priority date queue. Changing employers before that 180-day mark typically requires starting the PERM process over with the new employer, though an approved I-140's priority date can often be retained.
Does my employer need to pay the full cost of green card sponsorship?
USCIS rules prohibit employers from passing certain green card filing costs, specifically PERM attorney fees and filing fees, onto the sponsored worker, as doing so could violate prevailing wage obligations. You can pay for your own I-485 adjustment of status filing fees. Confirm this cost allocation in writing with your employer before the process begins to avoid disputes later.