Green Card Environmental Planner Jobs
Environmental Planner green card sponsorship follows the EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based path, requiring your employer to complete PERM labor certification with the Department of Labor before filing an I-140 petition with USCIS. Per-country backlogs affect nationals from high-demand countries, so starting the process early with the right sponsor matters.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Known as one of FORTUNE’S “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Kimley-Horn is seeking a Environmental Planner to expand our multi-disciplinary environmental planning team in Virginia Beach.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a key member on the planning and environmental team for infrastructure clients, serving as a Planning and Environmental Manager for infrastructure projects
- Lead the writing of technical plans and reports, summary papers, environmental documents, and re-evaluation, including defining work scope and developing recommendations
- Provide input, technical guidance, and direction to other team members, including managing workflow of the team
- Respond to information requests from the client and others on the project team
- Build and maintain client relationships
- Mentor and develop Analysts, provide leadership in an environment that encourages teamwork, initiative and growth
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the field of Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, or a related degree
- 7+ years of progressively responsible professional level planning experience related to specific area of assignment such as transportation planning, environmental planning or urban planning or Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience
- Excellent writing and communication skills, organization skills, problem solving, and consensus building
- Commitment to producing high quality work, with an emphasis on attention to detail
- Self-motivated team player
- Ability to balance priorities among multiple projects
- Ability to lead planning projects, including providing direction to entry-level Analysts
COMPENSATION:
- Base Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
INTRODUCTION
Known as one of FORTUNE’S “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Kimley-Horn is seeking a Environmental Planner to expand our multi-disciplinary environmental planning team in Virginia Beach.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a key member on the planning and environmental team for infrastructure clients, serving as a Planning and Environmental Manager for infrastructure projects
- Lead the writing of technical plans and reports, summary papers, environmental documents, and re-evaluation, including defining work scope and developing recommendations
- Provide input, technical guidance, and direction to other team members, including managing workflow of the team
- Respond to information requests from the client and others on the project team
- Build and maintain client relationships
- Mentor and develop Analysts, provide leadership in an environment that encourages teamwork, initiative and growth
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the field of Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, or a related degree
- 7+ years of progressively responsible professional level planning experience related to specific area of assignment such as transportation planning, environmental planning or urban planning or Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience
- Excellent writing and communication skills, organization skills, problem solving, and consensus building
- Commitment to producing high quality work, with an emphasis on attention to detail
- Self-motivated team player
- Ability to balance priorities among multiple projects
- Ability to lead planning projects, including providing direction to entry-level Analysts
COMPENSATION:
- Base Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
See all Green Card Environmental Planner Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as an Environmental Planner
Align your credentials to EB-2 or EB-3
An EB-2 filing requires a master's degree in urban planning, environmental science, or a related field, or a bachelor's plus five years of progressive experience. Pull together degree transcripts and employer verification letters before you begin targeting roles.
Search employers through Migrate Mate
Filter for Environmental Planner roles at firms with active green card sponsorship history using Migrate Mate, which shows employers verified through DOL employment-based filing records. This saves you from cold-applying to companies that have never sponsored before.
Prioritize AICP-certified planning firms
Municipal governments, regional planning agencies, and consulting firms that employ licensed planners regularly file PERM applications for specialized roles. These employers already have HR processes and legal counsel for navigating the prevailing wage determination and DOL recruitment steps.
Verify your prevailing wage category early
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for your target SOC code and location before salary negotiations. If your offered wage falls below the DOL-certified level, your employer's PERM application will be denied regardless of other qualifications.
Anticipate PERM recruitment documentation requirements
Your employer must run a formal recruitment test before PERM is filed, including job postings in designated sources. Ask hiring managers whether their legal team has completed PERM audits before, since gaps in recruitment records are a leading cause of PERM denials.
Check your O*NET profile before the I-140 filing
USCIS uses O*NET occupation data to assess whether your job duties and degree match the filed position. Review the Environmental Planner O*NET entry and confirm your offer letter reflects the standard tasks listed, reducing the risk of a Request for Evidence.
Green Card Environmental Planner: Frequently Asked Questions
How does green card sponsorship for Environmental Planners differ from H-1B sponsorship?
Green card sponsorship leads to lawful permanent residence, not a temporary status. For Environmental Planners, the EB-2 or EB-3 path requires your employer to complete PERM labor certification with the Department of Labor, including a prevailing wage determination and a formal recruitment test, before filing an I-140 petition with USCIS. H-1B visa is a temporary work status with an annual lottery; employment-based green cards have no lottery but do have per-country numerical limits that can create priority-date backlogs for nationals of high-demand countries.
Which green card category typically applies to Environmental Planner roles?
Most Environmental Planner positions qualify under EB-2 if the role requires a master's degree in urban planning, environmental science, or a closely related field, or a bachelor's degree plus five years of progressive specialized experience. EB-3 covers professionals with a qualifying bachelor's degree and skilled workers with at least two years of relevant experience. The employer's PERM application must specify the minimum requirements for the position, so the degree and experience documented in your offer letter need to match the filed job description precisely.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor Environmental Planners for green cards?
Search Migrate Mate to identify U.S. employers with verified employment-based green card sponsorship history in environmental and planning occupations. Focusing on firms that have completed PERM applications before shortens the process significantly, since experienced sponsors already have immigration counsel, established prevailing wage procedures, and familiarity with the DOL recruitment requirements that first-time sponsors often underestimate.
What happens to my green card case if I change employers during the process?
If you change employers after your I-485 adjustment-of-status application has been pending for 180 days or more, AC21 job portability allows you to move to a new position in the same or a similar occupation without losing your place in the queue. Your priority date can also carry over to a new employer's I-140 once the original I-140 was approved by USCIS. These two rules are distinct, and both require careful timing and documentation to apply correctly.
What are the most common reasons PERM applications are denied for Environmental Planner positions?
DOL denies PERM applications most often when the offered wage falls below the certified prevailing wage for the SOC code and geographic area, when the employer's recruitment documentation is incomplete or uses non-approved advertising sources, or when the job requirements appear tailored to a specific candidate rather than genuinely open to qualified U.S. workers. For Environmental Planner roles, overly narrow licensing requirements or degree specificity that goes beyond O*NET standards can also trigger a PERM audit or denial.