Green Card Research Intern Jobs
Research Intern roles at U.S. universities, federal agencies, and R&D firms can qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific scientific or technical field. Securing sponsorship typically depends on your employer's willingness to file and the degree-to-role match USCIS requires.
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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 1,199+ Green Card Research Intern Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as a Research Intern
Align your degree to the role description
PERM requires your degree field to directly match the job's stated requirements. A biochemistry degree supporting a molecular biology research role clears this bar; a general science degree for a narrowly defined position may not. Review the SOC code the employer plans to use before accepting any offer.
Target employers with existing PERM infrastructure
Universities, national laboratories, and large pharmaceutical or biotech firms already have immigration counsel and PERM filing workflows. Smaller startups often sponsor their first green card with you, which adds months of legal setup time before DOL even receives the application.
Search green card sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Filter Research Intern openings by employers with active EB-2 and EB-3 PERM filing history on Migrate Mate. You'll see which organizations have actually sponsored research roles, not just those that say they're open to it.
Understand the prevailing wage requirement before negotiating
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your role and location. Look up your position's wage level using the OFLC Wage Search before salary discussions. Accepting below prevailing wage invalidates the PERM filing, regardless of what you agreed to.
Ask about PERM timeline during the offer stage
PERM labor certification at DOL currently averages well over a year for analyst-reviewed applications. Confirm whether your employer plans to start the process during your internship or only after conversion to a full-time role, since most intern PERM filings are tied to a permanent position.
Build a credential file that survives RFE scrutiny
Gather transcripts, published papers, conference presentations, and supervisor letters before your employer files. USCIS issues Requests for Evidence on I-140 petitions for research roles when the specialty occupation connection is unclear, and a strong credential file reduces that risk substantially.
Green Card Research Intern: Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Research Intern role qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship?
Yes, if the position requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific field such as biology, chemistry, computer science, or a related discipline. EB-3 covers professionals meeting that threshold. EB-2 applies when the role requires an advanced degree or the candidate has specialized credentials that place them above the standard degree requirement. The employer's job description and your qualifications both factor into which category applies.
How does EB-3 green card sponsorship differ from H-1B for Research Intern positions?
H-1B visa is a temporary status subject to an annual lottery and a six-year cap; EB-3 leads to permanent residency with no lottery and no annual numerical limit on petitions filed. The tradeoff is time: PERM labor certification, I-140 approval, and visa availability can take two to five years depending on your country of birth. For most nationalities outside India and China, EB-3 priority dates move quickly, making it a more predictable path than H-1B for research professionals.
Which employers are most likely to sponsor green cards for Research Interns?
R1 research universities, federally funded national laboratories, large pharmaceutical companies, and established biotech firms sponsor research roles most consistently because they maintain in-house immigration teams. Federal contractors subject to E-Verify are also accustomed to employment-based sponsorship workflows. Use Migrate Mate to filter Research Intern listings by employers with verified PERM filing history so you can focus your applications on organizations that have actually followed through on sponsorship.
What does PERM labor certification require for a research role?
The employer must conduct a DOL-supervised recruitment process showing no qualified U.S. workers applied for the position. For research roles, this typically includes job postings, campus recruitment steps, and documentation of candidate review. The job duties and minimum requirements in the PERM application must match the actual role exactly. DOL then certifies the application, after which the employer files an I-140 petition with USCIS to establish your priority date.
Can my employer start the PERM process while I am still in an internship position?
PERM is almost always filed for a permanent, full-time position rather than a temporary internship. Most employers begin the process after converting you to a permanent research role. Some employers file concurrently with a conversion offer to save time. Clarify this in writing during your offer negotiation so the timeline is agreed on before you start, not discovered after your internship ends.