Green Card Research And Development Jobs
Research and development roles in the U.S. routinely qualify for EB-2 and EB-3 green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification, with employers filing I-140 petitions on your behalf. R&D positions in life sciences, engineering, and materials science frequently meet specialty occupation standards, making direct employment-based sponsorship a realistic path to permanent residency.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Join the 2025 AIA Firm Award Winner shaping a more sustainable future. LPA is a collective of designers, engineers, and researchers committed to tackling the biggest issues of our time. Our "No Excuses" integrated design approach was recognized by the AIA as “a trailblazer in sustainable, high-performance architecture". At LPA you’ll be part of the team that is changing the way the industry thinks about design and carbon emissions, built around the belief that we only achieve our goals when everybody has a seat at the table and all input is valued. We’re currently seeking a Design Researcher to join our Sustainability + Applied Research team. This role is ideal for someone trained in social science, design research, or another research field related to the built and natural environment who is interested in applying research to real world design challenges.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working across market sectors, the Junior Design Researcher will help interdisciplinary design teams better understand people, behavior, and the built environment and translate those insights into design. We’re looking for a problem seeker as much as a problem solver. Someone who brings curiosity, initiative, and an innovative mindset to their work by looking beyond the initial question to identify what needs to be better understood, asking thoughtful questions, and finding creative ways to investigate complex challenges. This person should demonstrate sound judgment in interpreting evidence and determining how research can be appropriately applied to design, along with the ability to make complex research understandable and useful to non-expert audiences.
- Conduct literature reviews to gather, evaluate, and synthesize multidisciplinary research in response to project and research questions.
- Develop research briefs, presentations, visuals, and other resources that translate research findings into clear, digestible insights and practical implications that designers and clients can easily understand and apply.
- Look across projects and research findings to identify recurring patterns, opportunities, and questions worth investigating further.
- Help build LPA's internal research knowledge base, making previous studies, findings, and resources easier for teams to access and reuse.
- Help develop and refine research tools and methodologies that can be used consistently across projects.
- Support and facilitate pre-design research and stakeholder engagement, including surveys, interviews, workshops, and other methods for understanding user needs and behaviors.
- Support and coordinate post-occupancy evaluations (POEs), including outreach, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, themes, and meaningful findings.
- Work with design teams to establish measurable project goals and identify ways to evaluate design outcomes.
- Explore creative approaches to investigating research questions when established methods or data are not readily available.
- Communicate research findings and lessons learned through internal presentations and, as experience grows, external publications, presentations, and thought leadership.
- Perform other duties as applicable.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What We're Looking For:
- MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or a related field
- Proficiency in Microsoft Project and Excel.
- Strong written communication and verbal presentation skills
- Experience with mixed-methods research
- Experience with online research tools
- Experience conducting literature searches or literature reviews
- Basic descriptive statistical or data analysis experience
- Data visualization or other graphic skills for communication of data
- Awareness of current research ethics and equity, diversity, and inclusion topics
- Entrepreneurial energy, comfortable with some ambiguity.
- Proactive attitude, prepared to ask questions, and always looking for opportunities to improve.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Additional Research training or certifications
- Human Subjects Research Training (current certification not required)
- LEED, WELL, EDAC, or similar certifications
- Design or engineering training or certifications
- Experience in any of the following: GIS, Power BI, AI for research, research in AR/VR/XR, grant writing, Adobe Creative Suite
- Experience in or excitement to learn how to facilitate meetings and workshops
- Understanding of a typical architectural design process, from concept and schematic design, design development and construction documentation, construction, and post-occupancy.
- Education in or excitement to learn more about sustainability topics such as energy performance, carbon emissions, material impacts, and resiliency, and find ways for human-environment research to better inform sustainable design.
WHAT WE OFFER
At LPA, your growth and contributions matter. We foster a collaborative culture where creative ideas are valued, and voices are heard.
- Mentorship from Managing Directors, Design Directors, and senior team members across disciplines.
- Career development support, including professional development grants and in-house training.
- Ongoing education through LPA+U courses and Tech Talks focused on innovative, sustainable practices.
- 8 paid hours of volunteer time each year.
- Opportunities to propose and lead projects that impact your local community, including more than $1 million since 2015 in Habitat for Humanity builds, scholarships, and other pro bono community projects.
- Access to our Professional Development Grants program, created to encourage professional development and further LPA's collective knowledge as a firm. Over the life of the grant program, we have invested $1,196,890 and impacted 848 LPA employees.
LPA is an integrated design firm with offices in California and Texas, focused on creating forward-thinking, sustainable spaces that make a positive impact. We believe great design begins with great people, which is why we foster a supportive, collaborative environment where creativity, curiosity, and professional growth are encouraged. Our culture values diversity, promotes wellness, and supports a healthy work-life balance. At LPA, we offer competitive salaries and a robust benefits package—including health and dental insurance, retirement and financial planning, wellness initiatives, and flexible work/life programs. This position is eligible for an annual bonus. If you are hired at LPA, your base salary is based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience and/or project complexity. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. LPA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires.
Notice To Recruitment Agencies And Recruiters
Please note that LPA does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed contract, LPA will not agree to pay any recruiter fee. In the situation an agency or recruiter submits a candidate or resume without a previously signed agreement and/or without LPA’s request, LPA explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of LPA.
COMPENSATION
- Compensation Range: $70K - $85K
INTRODUCTION
Join the 2025 AIA Firm Award Winner shaping a more sustainable future. LPA is a collective of designers, engineers, and researchers committed to tackling the biggest issues of our time. Our "No Excuses" integrated design approach was recognized by the AIA as “a trailblazer in sustainable, high-performance architecture". At LPA you’ll be part of the team that is changing the way the industry thinks about design and carbon emissions, built around the belief that we only achieve our goals when everybody has a seat at the table and all input is valued. We’re currently seeking a Design Researcher to join our Sustainability + Applied Research team. This role is ideal for someone trained in social science, design research, or another research field related to the built and natural environment who is interested in applying research to real world design challenges.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working across market sectors, the Junior Design Researcher will help interdisciplinary design teams better understand people, behavior, and the built environment and translate those insights into design. We’re looking for a problem seeker as much as a problem solver. Someone who brings curiosity, initiative, and an innovative mindset to their work by looking beyond the initial question to identify what needs to be better understood, asking thoughtful questions, and finding creative ways to investigate complex challenges. This person should demonstrate sound judgment in interpreting evidence and determining how research can be appropriately applied to design, along with the ability to make complex research understandable and useful to non-expert audiences.
- Conduct literature reviews to gather, evaluate, and synthesize multidisciplinary research in response to project and research questions.
- Develop research briefs, presentations, visuals, and other resources that translate research findings into clear, digestible insights and practical implications that designers and clients can easily understand and apply.
- Look across projects and research findings to identify recurring patterns, opportunities, and questions worth investigating further.
- Help build LPA's internal research knowledge base, making previous studies, findings, and resources easier for teams to access and reuse.
- Help develop and refine research tools and methodologies that can be used consistently across projects.
- Support and facilitate pre-design research and stakeholder engagement, including surveys, interviews, workshops, and other methods for understanding user needs and behaviors.
- Support and coordinate post-occupancy evaluations (POEs), including outreach, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, themes, and meaningful findings.
- Work with design teams to establish measurable project goals and identify ways to evaluate design outcomes.
- Explore creative approaches to investigating research questions when established methods or data are not readily available.
- Communicate research findings and lessons learned through internal presentations and, as experience grows, external publications, presentations, and thought leadership.
- Perform other duties as applicable.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What We're Looking For:
- MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or a related field
- Proficiency in Microsoft Project and Excel.
- Strong written communication and verbal presentation skills
- Experience with mixed-methods research
- Experience with online research tools
- Experience conducting literature searches or literature reviews
- Basic descriptive statistical or data analysis experience
- Data visualization or other graphic skills for communication of data
- Awareness of current research ethics and equity, diversity, and inclusion topics
- Entrepreneurial energy, comfortable with some ambiguity.
- Proactive attitude, prepared to ask questions, and always looking for opportunities to improve.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Additional Research training or certifications
- Human Subjects Research Training (current certification not required)
- LEED, WELL, EDAC, or similar certifications
- Design or engineering training or certifications
- Experience in any of the following: GIS, Power BI, AI for research, research in AR/VR/XR, grant writing, Adobe Creative Suite
- Experience in or excitement to learn how to facilitate meetings and workshops
- Understanding of a typical architectural design process, from concept and schematic design, design development and construction documentation, construction, and post-occupancy.
- Education in or excitement to learn more about sustainability topics such as energy performance, carbon emissions, material impacts, and resiliency, and find ways for human-environment research to better inform sustainable design.
WHAT WE OFFER
At LPA, your growth and contributions matter. We foster a collaborative culture where creative ideas are valued, and voices are heard.
- Mentorship from Managing Directors, Design Directors, and senior team members across disciplines.
- Career development support, including professional development grants and in-house training.
- Ongoing education through LPA+U courses and Tech Talks focused on innovative, sustainable practices.
- 8 paid hours of volunteer time each year.
- Opportunities to propose and lead projects that impact your local community, including more than $1 million since 2015 in Habitat for Humanity builds, scholarships, and other pro bono community projects.
- Access to our Professional Development Grants program, created to encourage professional development and further LPA's collective knowledge as a firm. Over the life of the grant program, we have invested $1,196,890 and impacted 848 LPA employees.
LPA is an integrated design firm with offices in California and Texas, focused on creating forward-thinking, sustainable spaces that make a positive impact. We believe great design begins with great people, which is why we foster a supportive, collaborative environment where creativity, curiosity, and professional growth are encouraged. Our culture values diversity, promotes wellness, and supports a healthy work-life balance. At LPA, we offer competitive salaries and a robust benefits package—including health and dental insurance, retirement and financial planning, wellness initiatives, and flexible work/life programs. This position is eligible for an annual bonus. If you are hired at LPA, your base salary is based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience and/or project complexity. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. LPA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires.
Notice To Recruitment Agencies And Recruiters
Please note that LPA does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed contract, LPA will not agree to pay any recruiter fee. In the situation an agency or recruiter submits a candidate or resume without a previously signed agreement and/or without LPA’s request, LPA explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of LPA.
COMPENSATION
- Compensation Range: $70K - $85K
See all 1,222+ Green Card Research And Development Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Research And Development
Document your research output before applying
Compile publications, patents, grants, and conference presentations into a single credentials file. PERM requires your employer to demonstrate your qualifications meet the minimum job requirements, and a well-organized record speeds up that verification step.
Identify employers with active PERM filings
Search DOL disclosure data for R&D-specific PERM filings by job title and SOC code. Employers who have filed recently are familiar with the certification timeline and less likely to abandon sponsorship mid-process due to internal process uncertainty.
Clarify EB-2 versus EB-3 eligibility early
R&D roles requiring a master's degree or equivalent typically qualify under EB-2, which skips the PERM step if you pursue a National Interest Waiver. Roles requiring only a bachelor's degree fall under EB-3, where PERM labor certification is mandatory regardless of your credentials.
Search R&D sponsoring employers through Migrate Mate
Filter for R&D roles where employers have green card filing history using Migrate Mate. Targeting companies with a documented sponsorship track record reduces the risk of starting a multi-year PERM process with an employer who hasn't done it before.
Verify the prevailing wage before negotiating offers
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your occupation and location throughout the PERM process. Use OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level I through IV wage for your R&D job title and worksite before you discuss compensation.
Confirm the employer will cover PERM recruitment costs
PERM requires the employer to conduct and document a formal recruitment process before USCIS will approve the I-140. Confirm during the offer stage that your employer will absorb attorney and filing fees, since USCIS rules prohibit passing those costs to you.
Green Card Research And Development: Frequently Asked Questions
Do R&D jobs commonly qualify for EB-2 green card sponsorship?
Yes. Research and development roles in fields like biotechnology, engineering, chemistry, and materials science routinely qualify under EB-2 because they require a master's degree or its equivalent. If your role involves original research of national importance, your employer may also pursue an EB-2 National Interest Waiver, which bypasses PERM labor certification entirely and can significantly shorten the path to permanent residency.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for R&D professionals?
Green card sponsorship through PERM, I-140, and adjustment of status leads to permanent residency, not a temporary status subject to renewal. Unlike the H-1B visa, there is no annual lottery for EB-3 sponsorship, and the process is not capped at six years. The tradeoff is timeline: PERM labor certification alone takes six to twelve months, and priority date backlogs vary significantly by country of birth.
What does the PERM labor certification process involve for R&D roles?
PERM requires your employer to demonstrate that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position. DOL mandates specific recruitment steps, including job postings, newspaper advertisements, and internal notices. For R&D roles, the job description must accurately reflect the actual duties and minimum qualifications, since overstating requirements to match your credentials is a common audit trigger that can invalidate the application.
How can I find R&D employers who are open to green card sponsorship?
The most efficient method is filtering for employers with a documented history of PERM and I-140 filings in your specific R&D discipline. Migrate Mate surfaces R&D jobs where employers have active green card sponsorship history, so you can focus your search on companies already familiar with the process rather than trying to convince an employer to start from scratch.
Can I switch R&D employers after my I-140 is approved?
Yes, under AC21 portability rules, you can change employers after your I-140 has been approved and your adjustment of status application has been pending for at least 180 days, as long as the new role is in the same or a similar occupational classification. R&D roles within the same scientific or engineering discipline generally satisfy this requirement, but you should confirm with USCIS documentation before making a move.