STEM OPT Civil Engineer Jobs

Civil Engineer roles in transportation, structural design, and infrastructure qualify for the STEM OPT extension when your degree maps to an eligible CIP code. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build licensure hours and transition to long-term sponsorship.

See All Civil Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open Jobs3,427+
Top Visa TypeF-1 OPT
Work Type86% On-site
Median Salary$80K
Top LocationHouston, TX
Most JobsHDR

Showing 5 of 3,427+ Civil Engineer jobs

Kimley-Horn
Entry Level Civil Engineer - Roadway
We won't show you this job again
Kimley-Horn
New 3m ago
Entry Level Civil Engineer - Roadway
Kimley-Horn
Miami, Florida
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
Not listed
On-Site
Bachelor's

Have you applied for this role?

Give feedback about this job
Min 10 characters (0/10)
Burns & McDonnell
Staff Civil Engineer
We won't show you this job again
Burns & McDonnell
Added 1d ago
Staff Civil Engineer
Burns & McDonnell
Chicago, Illinois
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Project & Program Management
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
Project Management
$105,000/yr - $155,000/yr
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
5,001-10,000

Have you applied for this role?

Give feedback about this job
Min 10 characters (0/10)
RRC Power and Energy
Civil Engineer II
We won't show you this job again
RRC Power and Energy
Added 5d ago
Civil Engineer II
RRC Power and Energy
Charlotte, North Carolina
Civil & Structural Engineering
Specialized Engineering
Civil Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
On-Site
4+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's

Have you applied for this role?

Give feedback about this job
Min 10 characters (0/10)
LUZCO Technologies, LLC
Civil Engineer
We won't show you this job again
LUZCO Technologies, LLC
Added 5d ago
Civil Engineer
LUZCO Technologies, LLC
St. Louis, Missouri
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
Structural Engineering
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
11-50

Have you applied for this role?

Give feedback about this job
Min 10 characters (0/10)
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services
Senior Civil Engineer
We won't show you this job again
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services
Added 5d ago
Senior Civil Engineer
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services
Boston, Massachusetts
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
$72,000/yr - $103,000/yr
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Give feedback about this job
Min 10 characters (0/10)

See all 3,427+ Civil Engineer jobs

Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Civil Engineer roles.

Get Access To All Jobs

See all 3,427+ Civil Engineer jobs

Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Civil Engineer roles.

Get Access To All Jobs

Tips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Civil Engineer

Verify your CIP code before applying

Check that your civil, structural, or environmental engineering degree maps to an approved STEM CIP code on the official STEM Designated Degree Program List. A mismatch blocks your extension even if your role qualifies, so confirm with your DSO before you start applying.

Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status

STEM OPT employers must be enrolled in E-Verify before you start work. Search the E-Verify employer search tool to confirm enrollment before accepting an offer. Many civil engineering firms, including municipal contractors and federal subcontractors, are already enrolled due to federal contracting requirements.

Use O*NET to anchor your training plan

Your I-983 training plan must tie your civil engineering tasks to specific learning objectives. Pull the O*NET occupation profile for Civil Engineers to identify technical competencies, then map your day-to-day project work directly to those outcomes so your DSO and employer can sign off without revisions.

Target firms with active H-1B filing history

Civil engineering firms that have previously sponsored H-1B petitions have already navigated the prevailing wage and specialty occupation requirements your future sponsorship will need. Use Migrate Mate to filter civil engineer roles by employers with verified DOL Labor Condition Application filing history.

Align your offer letter with DOL prevailing wage

Before signing, run your job title and work location through the OFLC Wage Search to check the prevailing wage level. If your offered salary falls below the Level I or II wage for your county, your employer's future LCA filing will require a salary adjustment, which can stall H-1B sponsorship.

File your I-983 update within the required window

USCIS requires a revised I-983 within 10 days of any material change to your training plan, including a project reassignment, change in supervisor, or shift in core duties. Civil engineering roles often involve phase-based project work, so flag scope changes to your DSO proactively rather than after the fact.

Civil Engineer jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.

Find Civil Engineer Jobs

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a civil engineering degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?

Civil engineering degrees typically qualify if the program's CIP code appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program List maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. Core civil engineering CIP codes, including those for structural, environmental, and transportation engineering, are covered. Interdisciplinary programs like construction management may or may not qualify depending on how your school classified the degree, so confirm the CIP code with your DSO before you rely on it.

What E-Verify requirement applies to my civil engineering employer?

Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension start date. This is a federal requirement, not a company policy option. Many civil engineering firms already meet this threshold because federal contracting rules require E-Verify participation for government project work. You can confirm enrollment through the E-Verify employer search tool before accepting an offer, not after.

What goes into the I-983 training plan for a civil engineering role?

Your I-983 must describe the specific technical and professional goals you'll pursue, the supervision structure, and how your daily work connects to your degree. For civil engineering roles, that typically means mapping tasks like site analysis, AutoCAD or Civil 3D modeling, load calculations, or permit coordination to named learning objectives. Generic job descriptions won't satisfy the requirement. The O*NET occupation profile for Civil Engineers is a practical starting point for drafting objective language your DSO can approve.

How does cap-gap protection work if my employer files an H-1B for me?

If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before April 1 and USCIS selects it in the lottery, cap-gap automatically extends your OPT work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. Your EAD remains valid and you can keep working without a gap. If premium processing is used and the petition is approved before October 1, your H-1B status begins on October 1. Your DSO issues a cap-gap I-20 to document the extension.

How do I find civil engineering employers who are set up for STEM OPT?

Start with Migrate Mate, which filters civil engineer roles by employers with active E-Verify enrollment and prior DOL Labor Condition Application filing history. That filing history signals the employer has already handled the prevailing wage and specialty occupation documentation that STEM OPT and eventual H-1B sponsorship both require. Infrastructure, transportation, and environmental consulting firms are among the most active sponsors in this occupation.

See which Civil Engineer employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.

Search Civil Engineer Jobs