Green Card Flight Test Engineer Jobs
Flight Test Engineer roles qualify for EB-2 and EB-3 green card sponsorship through the PERM labor certification process, which requires employers to document recruitment efforts before filing an I-140 immigrant petition. Defense contractors, aerospace OEMs, and commercial aviation firms routinely sponsor foreign engineers in this specialty occupation.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, Archer is a leader in the next-gen aerospace sector building an end-to-end advanced air mobility platform that delivers air taxis, unmanned aircraft systems ("UAS"), aviation-related physical artificial intelligence ("AI") solutions, and other technologies to customers worldwide across the commercial aerospace and defense sectors.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop flight test plans that trace directly to FAA certification basis requirements, ensuring test objectives, success criteria, and instrumentation needs are clearly defined and defensible to regulators.
- Partner with subsystem engineering to understand system design intent, failure modes, and areas of technical risk, and translate that understanding into test procedures that adequately probe the system.
- Lead or support Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs), coordinating inputs from engineering, safety, and operations to confirm a test point is ready to fly.
- Author and maintain test plan documentation, including test point matrices, procedures, instrumentation and data requirements, and pass/fail criteria.
- Coordinate with certification engineers and, where applicable, FAA representatives to ensure test plans and results support the certification basis and compliance findings.
- Contribute to lessons-learned and process improvement efforts to make future test planning cycles faster and more rigorous.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's/Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in flight test operations
- Strong knowledge of airworthiness certification flight test programs and regulatory requirements
- Experience with safety risk management processes related to flight testing or complex operational testing
- Proficiency in planning/executing ground and flight tests within certification or military projects
- Exceptional collaboration and interpersonal skills
- Highly organized with a strong attention to detail
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- FAA pilot certificate
COMPENSATION
For this position we are targeting a base pay between $96,300 - $132,400 USD. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer's People Team at people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.
Certain positions may be eligible for visa sponsorship.
Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to People@archer.com. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.
INTRODUCTION
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, Archer is a leader in the next-gen aerospace sector building an end-to-end advanced air mobility platform that delivers air taxis, unmanned aircraft systems ("UAS"), aviation-related physical artificial intelligence ("AI") solutions, and other technologies to customers worldwide across the commercial aerospace and defense sectors.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop flight test plans that trace directly to FAA certification basis requirements, ensuring test objectives, success criteria, and instrumentation needs are clearly defined and defensible to regulators.
- Partner with subsystem engineering to understand system design intent, failure modes, and areas of technical risk, and translate that understanding into test procedures that adequately probe the system.
- Lead or support Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs), coordinating inputs from engineering, safety, and operations to confirm a test point is ready to fly.
- Author and maintain test plan documentation, including test point matrices, procedures, instrumentation and data requirements, and pass/fail criteria.
- Coordinate with certification engineers and, where applicable, FAA representatives to ensure test plans and results support the certification basis and compliance findings.
- Contribute to lessons-learned and process improvement efforts to make future test planning cycles faster and more rigorous.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's/Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in flight test operations
- Strong knowledge of airworthiness certification flight test programs and regulatory requirements
- Experience with safety risk management processes related to flight testing or complex operational testing
- Proficiency in planning/executing ground and flight tests within certification or military projects
- Exceptional collaboration and interpersonal skills
- Highly organized with a strong attention to detail
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- FAA pilot certificate
COMPENSATION
For this position we are targeting a base pay between $96,300 - $132,400 USD. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer's People Team at people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.
Certain positions may be eligible for visa sponsorship.
Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to People@archer.com. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as a Flight Test Engineer
Document your flight-test credentials precisely
PERM requires your employer to list your exact education and experience requirements in the labor certification. Gather degree transcripts, test flight logs, and any certifications tied to specific aircraft programs before the process starts.
Target employers with active PERM filings
Search DOL OFLC disclosure data for companies that have filed PERM applications under SOC code 17-2011 (Aerospace Engineers). Defense primes and MRO operators file regularly and already have established green card workflows for engineering staff.
Search green card sponsoring jobs on Migrate Mate
Filter by Flight Test Engineer roles where employers have confirmed green card sponsorship history. Migrate Mate surfaces EB-2 and EB-3 opportunities so you spend time pursuing employers already set up to file, not educating recruiters from scratch.
Verify your role meets specialty occupation standards
USCIS requires that a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field is a normal minimum for entry into your position. Flight test roles tied to experimental flight programs or DO-178C software validation are stronger candidates than generalist engineering titles.
Clarify prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location. Your offered salary must meet or exceed the certified wage level, and mismatches at the offer stage can delay or derail PERM filing.
Understand the EB-2 versus EB-3 classification decision
If your role requires only a bachelor's degree, most employers will file under EB-3. If you hold a master's degree or your position requires an advanced degree by standard industry practice, push your employer to evaluate EB-2, which can reduce priority date wait times for some nationalities.
Green Card Flight Test Engineer: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Flight Test Engineer role qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 sponsorship?
Both categories are available depending on the position's stated requirements. EB-3 applies when the role requires a bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or a related engineering field. EB-2 applies when the position normally requires an advanced degree or when you hold a master's and the employer documents that requirement. The PERM labor certification locks in which category applies based on the job description filed with DOL.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for this role?
H-1B visa is temporary, capped at 85,000 per year, and subject to a lottery for most applicants. Green card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-3 is permanent, has no annual lottery, and leads directly to lawful permanent residency. The tradeoff is time: PERM labor certification alone typically takes six to eighteen months before the I-140 petition is even filed, making early employer conversations critical.
Which employers regularly sponsor green cards for Flight Test Engineers?
Defense contractors with active flight test programs, commercial aircraft manufacturers, and MRO operators with experimental operations units are the most consistent sponsors. These employers already maintain immigration infrastructure and file PERM applications on a recurring basis for engineering roles. You can identify them by searching DOL OFLC disclosure data filtered to aerospace engineering SOC codes.
How can I find Flight Test Engineer jobs that offer green card sponsorship?
Use Migrate Mate to filter Flight Test Engineer openings by employers with confirmed EB-2 or EB-3 sponsorship history. Most general job boards don't distinguish between employers willing to sponsor H-1B only versus those set up for full green card filing, so targeting sponsorship-confirmed listings saves significant time in your search.
What documentation should I prepare before a PERM-sponsored job offer?
Pull together official transcripts, a detailed work history covering all flight test experience, and any program-specific credentials such as test pilot school certificates or aircraft type qualifications. Your employer's immigration attorney will need to establish that your background meets the exact minimum requirements stated in the PERM application, so ambiguous or informal experience records create delays. O*NET can help you map your duties to the occupation's standard requirements.