Green Card Legal Counsel Jobs
Legal Counsel roles at U.S. corporations and law departments qualify for employment-based green card sponsorship under EB-2 or EB-3, depending on your degree level and credentials. Your employer files a PERM labor certification with the DOL before petitioning USCIS, permanently anchoring your immigration status to the role rather than a temporary visa.
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Get Access To All JobsCompany:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Legal Group, Legal Group > Legal Counsel
General Summary:
Qualcomm is seeking a seasoned attorney to lead the legal team supporting its global automotive business unit and serve as a hands-on legal advisor on complex commercial, automotive safety, regulatory, and product-related matters. The role requires both strong leadership and substantive legal work, including leading negotiations, drafting, and counseling on a broad range of sales, technology, software licensing, cloud services, supply, and procurement agreements in a technology-driven automotive environment. The successful candidate will also advise the business team on global legal, automotive safety and regulatory requirements and related commercial risks associated with Qualcomm’s automotive software and hardware offerings, including automated driving systems, advanced driver assistance systems, connected vehicles, software-defined vehicles, motor vehicle safety, product communications and AI-enabled products.
This is a full-time position based in Qualcomm’s San Diego, California, office. Qualcomm policy requires 5 days a week on average in the office. This position requires travel, as necessary.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
- 10+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm or in-house.
- Active bar license to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be practicing (or ability to obtain upon hiring).
Desired Qualifications:
- 12+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably spanning both law firm and in-house roles within an automotive supplier, automaker, or other technology-driven environment.
- 6+ years in a leadership role with direct reports in a legal function.
- Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating complex technology and commercial agreements, including software licensing arrangements.
- Strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and close attention to detail.
- Ability to lead with integrity, build high-performing teams, and collaborate effectively across functions.
- Ability to work independently while strengthening team capability and cohesion.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead the automotive legal team while serving as a hands-on advisor on complex automotive safety, commercial, regulatory, and product-related matters, including:
- Draft, negotiate, and review sales, technology, software licensing, cloud services, supply, and procurement agreements.
- Draft and manage policies supporting Qualcomm’s automotive business.
- Identify and mitigate legal, commercial, motor vehicle safety and operational risks, including by resolving cross-functional process gaps.
- Partner with legal and business leaders to develop and implement legal strategies aligned with business objectives.
- Drive consistency in key commercial terms across customer arrangements, including terms relating to supply, services, liability, intellectual property, standards-essential patents, and software.
- Promote legal processes and policies that improve efficiency, consistency, and risk management across the automotive business.
- Lead and develop the team to ensure balanced workloads, strong engagement, and high-quality legal guidance, drafting, and support.
- Advise and educate business clients on automotive-specific legal issues, including motor vehicle safety, regulatory obligations, and commercial risk mitigation.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
- 10+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm or in-house.
- Active bar license to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be practicing (or ability to obtain upon hiring).
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$234,400.00 - $351,600.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.
Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Legal Group, Legal Group > Legal Counsel
General Summary:
Qualcomm is seeking a seasoned attorney to lead the legal team supporting its global automotive business unit and serve as a hands-on legal advisor on complex commercial, automotive safety, regulatory, and product-related matters. The role requires both strong leadership and substantive legal work, including leading negotiations, drafting, and counseling on a broad range of sales, technology, software licensing, cloud services, supply, and procurement agreements in a technology-driven automotive environment. The successful candidate will also advise the business team on global legal, automotive safety and regulatory requirements and related commercial risks associated with Qualcomm’s automotive software and hardware offerings, including automated driving systems, advanced driver assistance systems, connected vehicles, software-defined vehicles, motor vehicle safety, product communications and AI-enabled products.
This is a full-time position based in Qualcomm’s San Diego, California, office. Qualcomm policy requires 5 days a week on average in the office. This position requires travel, as necessary.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
- 10+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm or in-house.
- Active bar license to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be practicing (or ability to obtain upon hiring).
Desired Qualifications:
- 12+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably spanning both law firm and in-house roles within an automotive supplier, automaker, or other technology-driven environment.
- 6+ years in a leadership role with direct reports in a legal function.
- Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating complex technology and commercial agreements, including software licensing arrangements.
- Strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and close attention to detail.
- Ability to lead with integrity, build high-performing teams, and collaborate effectively across functions.
- Ability to work independently while strengthening team capability and cohesion.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead the automotive legal team while serving as a hands-on advisor on complex automotive safety, commercial, regulatory, and product-related matters, including:
- Draft, negotiate, and review sales, technology, software licensing, cloud services, supply, and procurement agreements.
- Draft and manage policies supporting Qualcomm’s automotive business.
- Identify and mitigate legal, commercial, motor vehicle safety and operational risks, including by resolving cross-functional process gaps.
- Partner with legal and business leaders to develop and implement legal strategies aligned with business objectives.
- Drive consistency in key commercial terms across customer arrangements, including terms relating to supply, services, liability, intellectual property, standards-essential patents, and software.
- Promote legal processes and policies that improve efficiency, consistency, and risk management across the automotive business.
- Lead and develop the team to ensure balanced workloads, strong engagement, and high-quality legal guidance, drafting, and support.
- Advise and educate business clients on automotive-specific legal issues, including motor vehicle safety, regulatory obligations, and commercial risk mitigation.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
- 10+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm or in-house.
- Active bar license to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be practicing (or ability to obtain upon hiring).
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$234,400.00 - $351,600.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.
See all 3,509+ Green Card Legal Counsel Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Green Card Legal Counsel Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Legal Counsel
Document your bar admissions and equivalency
Foreign law degrees often require a credential evaluation before USCIS accepts them as equivalent to a U.S. J.D. Get a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES-member evaluator before your employer starts the PERM process to avoid delays at the I-140 stage.
Target in-house counsel roles at large employers
Corporate legal departments at publicly traded companies file PERM petitions routinely and have dedicated immigration counsel or HR teams who understand the process. Outside law firm associate roles are less commonly sponsored because partnership-track positions raise PERM audit concerns around job duties.
Verify the job description matches PERM requirements
PERM requires the posted job duties to reflect what you actually do daily. If your employer lists duties that are narrower than your real scope, an audit can invalidate the entire certification. Review the draft job description carefully before DOL posting begins.
Search for green card sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Legal Counsel roles by employers with active PERM and I-140 filing history, so you spend your job search targeting companies that already sponsor rather than asking HR departments to start from scratch.
Understand the PERM prevailing wage before negotiating
Your employer must pay at least the DOL-certified prevailing wage for your SOC code and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level II or Level III wage for your metro area before salary discussions so you know the floor the petition legally requires.
File the I-140 concurrently if your priority date is current
Once PERM is certified, your employer can file the I-140 immediately. If your country of birth has a current EB-2 or EB-3 priority date, you may be able to file the I-485 adjustment of status concurrently, shaving months off your total wait time.
Green Card Legal Counsel: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Legal Counsel roles qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship?
Most in-house Legal Counsel positions qualify under EB-2 because they require a J.D. or equivalent advanced degree. If the role is classified as requiring only a bachelor's degree plus law license, EB-3 professional applies instead. Your employer's immigration attorney will determine the correct category based on the actual minimum requirements written into the PERM job description.
How does PERM green card sponsorship differ from an H-1B for a Legal Counsel role?
The H-1B visa is a temporary nonimmigrant visa capped at 85,000 annually, subject to lottery selection, and tied to a specific employer term. PERM sponsorship leads to permanent residency with no annual cap at the EB-3 level for most countries. The tradeoff is timeline: PERM labor certification alone takes six months to a year before USCIS even begins adjudicating the I-140, so total processing often runs two to five years for applicants from low-backlog countries.
Can a foreign-trained lawyer get a green card through employment as Legal Counsel?
Yes, but credential documentation matters. USCIS requires that your foreign law degree be evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. J.D. or bachelor's degree, depending on the EB category. You'll also need evidence of bar admission in at least one U.S. state or the District of Columbia if the job description requires it, since PERM regulations prohibit impossible-to-meet requirements that screen out otherwise qualified U.S. workers.
Where can I find Legal Counsel jobs that sponsor green cards?
Use Migrate Mate to search Legal Counsel positions filtered by employers with documented PERM and I-140 sponsorship history. Targeting companies that have already completed PERM filings for similar roles significantly shortens the timeline from offer to petition, because the employer's legal and HR infrastructure is already in place rather than being built around your case.
What happens to my green card process if I change employers before the I-485 is approved?
If your I-140 has been approved for more than 180 days and your I-485 has been pending for at least 180 days, AC21 portability allows you to move to a new employer in the same or a similar occupational classification without starting over. For Legal Counsel roles, moving to another in-house counsel or legal advisory position generally satisfies the same-or-similar standard, but your immigration attorney should review the new job duties against the approved petition before you resign.