H-1B Visa Physics Jobs
Physics roles in the U.S. span national laboratories, semiconductor firms, medical device companies, and university research departments, most of which have active H-1B visa filing histories. Specialty occupation status is well-established for physicists, and employers regularly sponsor both cap-subject and cap-exempt petitions for research and applied roles.
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Get Access To All JobsBates College: Faculty Position: Physics and Astronomy
Location
Lewiston, Maine
Open Date
Aug 05, 2026
Description
The Bates College Department of Physics and Astronomy invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor starting in July 2027, open to all subfields of physics and astronomy. We seek an outstanding scholar with a strong commitment to excellent teaching, research, and mentorship in an undergraduate liberal arts environment.
The department is staffed with seven full-time faculty positions, and shares an eighth faculty position with the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences. In addition, two master’s-level Instructional Specialists provide support for introductory and laboratory-oriented courses. Research specialties of current faculty span experimental, theoretical, observational, and computational approaches.
The department graduates fifteen to twenty physics majors per year, while also supporting a physics minor and an Engineering Combined Plan. All majors produce a senior thesis, typically involving a research project in the context of a faculty member’s area of expertise.
The position carries a standard five-course annual teaching load. Faculty responsibilities include teaching, professional achievement, and governance and engagement, as described in Article II of the Bates College Faculty Handbook. Successful candidates will contribute to inclusive and evidence-based teaching, maintain an active program of scholarship, and participate in the life and governance of the College. Responsibilities include teaching courses in the major and the general education curriculum, advising students, and mentoring senior theses.
Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine, two and a half hours north of Boston and 45 minutes from Portland. Details about the college and its community can be found here. Bates supports new faculty with a course reduction in the first year of teaching, strong mentoring, and new faculty development programming along with support for community-engaged teaching and research. Bates provides tenure-track faculty with a paid pre-tenure leave and support for post-tenure sabbaticals.
Faculty scholarship is supported by start-up packages, internal grants, and a robust external grants office. Faculty research is routinely supported by the NSF, NASA, and other external funding sources. Significant lab space is available for the position, as is a wide range of existing equipment and materials, and the support of a professional machinist and machine shop. For faculty high-performance computing needs, Bates maintains the newly upgraded Leavitt cluster.
Qualifications
Qualifications include a PhD in physics or a closely related field. Postdoctoral research experience is seen as beneficial but is not required. We seek candidates who are committed to supporting the success of all students.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin on October 5, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit the following materials: a cover letter addressing interest in the position and in Bates College; a curriculum vitae; a statement discussing teaching philosophy and experience; and a statement discussing research experience, the proposed research program, and plans for involving and mentoring undergraduates in research. In their submitted materials, applicants are encouraged to describe relevant preparation, experience, or plans for creating an inclusive learning environment. Three letters of recommendation will be requested from candidates selected to move forward after an initial review. The anticipated salary range for this position is $87,000–$91,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and verification of degree.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Bates College is committed to equal opportunity and to providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to the Title IX Officer, Gwen Lexow at 207-786-6445 or titleix@bates.edu.
Bates College: Faculty Position: Physics and Astronomy
Location
Lewiston, Maine
Open Date
Aug 05, 2026
Description
The Bates College Department of Physics and Astronomy invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor starting in July 2027, open to all subfields of physics and astronomy. We seek an outstanding scholar with a strong commitment to excellent teaching, research, and mentorship in an undergraduate liberal arts environment.
The department is staffed with seven full-time faculty positions, and shares an eighth faculty position with the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences. In addition, two master’s-level Instructional Specialists provide support for introductory and laboratory-oriented courses. Research specialties of current faculty span experimental, theoretical, observational, and computational approaches.
The department graduates fifteen to twenty physics majors per year, while also supporting a physics minor and an Engineering Combined Plan. All majors produce a senior thesis, typically involving a research project in the context of a faculty member’s area of expertise.
The position carries a standard five-course annual teaching load. Faculty responsibilities include teaching, professional achievement, and governance and engagement, as described in Article II of the Bates College Faculty Handbook. Successful candidates will contribute to inclusive and evidence-based teaching, maintain an active program of scholarship, and participate in the life and governance of the College. Responsibilities include teaching courses in the major and the general education curriculum, advising students, and mentoring senior theses.
Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine, two and a half hours north of Boston and 45 minutes from Portland. Details about the college and its community can be found here. Bates supports new faculty with a course reduction in the first year of teaching, strong mentoring, and new faculty development programming along with support for community-engaged teaching and research. Bates provides tenure-track faculty with a paid pre-tenure leave and support for post-tenure sabbaticals.
Faculty scholarship is supported by start-up packages, internal grants, and a robust external grants office. Faculty research is routinely supported by the NSF, NASA, and other external funding sources. Significant lab space is available for the position, as is a wide range of existing equipment and materials, and the support of a professional machinist and machine shop. For faculty high-performance computing needs, Bates maintains the newly upgraded Leavitt cluster.
Qualifications
Qualifications include a PhD in physics or a closely related field. Postdoctoral research experience is seen as beneficial but is not required. We seek candidates who are committed to supporting the success of all students.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin on October 5, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit the following materials: a cover letter addressing interest in the position and in Bates College; a curriculum vitae; a statement discussing teaching philosophy and experience; and a statement discussing research experience, the proposed research program, and plans for involving and mentoring undergraduates in research. In their submitted materials, applicants are encouraged to describe relevant preparation, experience, or plans for creating an inclusive learning environment. Three letters of recommendation will be requested from candidates selected to move forward after an initial review. The anticipated salary range for this position is $87,000–$91,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and verification of degree.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Bates College is committed to equal opportunity and to providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to the Title IX Officer, Gwen Lexow at 207-786-6445 or titleix@bates.edu.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Physics
Translate your physics credentials for USCIS
USCIS evaluates whether your degree field directly relates to the offered role. A degree in applied physics, condensed matter, or optics maps cleanly to most industry positions. If your specialty is niche, get a credential evaluation that explicitly connects coursework to the job's technical requirements.
Target cap-exempt employers to avoid the lottery
Universities, national laboratories like Argonne or Oak Ridge, and affiliated nonprofit research institutions file H-1B petitions outside the annual cap entirely. Pursuing roles at these employers means no lottery risk and year-round filing, which matters if you're on a tight OPT timeline.
Search LCA filings by physics occupation codes
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers by DOL Labor Condition Application filings under physics-specific SOC codes. This surfaces which companies have actively sponsored physicists, not just whether they sponsor H-1B visas broadly across any role.
Verify prevailing wage levels before accepting an offer
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your specific role and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up Level I through Level IV wages for your physics SOC code before evaluating any offer.
Clarify the petition type during the offer stage
Ask the hiring team whether they're filing a cap-subject or cap-exempt petition and whether they intend to use premium processing. For cap-subject petitions, your start date is fixed at October 1, so confirm the employer's H-1B filing calendar aligns with your authorization end date.
Use O*NET to document specialty occupation eligibility
Physics roles require demonstrating that the position normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific specialty. The O*NET occupation profile for physicists shows job zone, education requirements, and core knowledge areas your employer can reference when building the specialty occupation argument in the I-129 petition.
H-1B Visa Physics: Frequently Asked Questions
Do physics jobs qualify as H-1B specialty occupations?
Yes. Physics roles consistently meet the H-1B specialty occupation standard because the work normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in physics or a closely related field. USCIS has approved physicists across sectors including semiconductor research, medical imaging, defense contracting, and academic institutions. Your employer documents the degree requirement in the I-129 petition using job duties and industry norms.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for physicists?
National laboratories, semiconductor manufacturers, medical device companies, aerospace and defense contractors, and research universities all have established H-1B filing histories for physics roles. Universities and affiliated nonprofit research institutions are cap-exempt, meaning they can file at any time of year without entering the lottery. You can browse verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate by searching physics-specific occupation codes.
Can I get an H-1B for a physics role that mixes research and engineering tasks?
Yes, as long as the core duties require a degree in physics or a directly related field like materials science, electrical engineering, or optical engineering. USCIS looks at whether the theoretical and practical knowledge of the specialty is the dominant requirement. Hybrid roles are common in industry labs, and employers routinely sponsor them successfully when the job description clearly ties duties to degree-level physics knowledge.
How does the H-1B cap affect my physics job search timeline?
Cap-subject petitions are filed in April for an October 1 start date, which means you need a signed offer and a sponsor ready to file roughly six months before you can begin work. If your OPT or STEM OPT expires before October 1, cap-gap rules may bridge the gap. Targeting cap-exempt employers at universities or national labs eliminates the lottery entirely and allows start dates at any time of year.
What should I ask an employer before accepting a physics offer with H-1B sponsorship?
Ask whether they're filing cap-subject or cap-exempt, whether they'll use premium processing, and who handles the filing internally or which firm they use. Confirm that the offered wage meets the DOL prevailing wage for your specific role and location, which you can independently verify using the OFLC Wage Search before signing. Employers are legally required to pay the higher of the actual or prevailing wage once the LCA is certified.