Government Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
California's government sector offers extensive visa sponsorship opportunities across federal agencies, state departments, and local municipalities. Major employers include NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the California Department of Transportation. Cities like Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco concentrate the highest number of sponsored positions, particularly for specialized research, engineering, and policy roles.
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Get Access To All JobsThe San Francisco Planning Department is recruiting for one (1) Temporary Provisional (TPV) Planner III within the Environmental Planning Division.
Specific Information Regarding This Recruitment Process Is Listed Below
- Application Opening: October 13, 2026
- Application Deadline: November 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM (PST)
- Analyst: Zoey Feng
- Amended on October 27, 2026: Extended the application deadline. Applicants who have already applied to this recruitment do not need to re-apply.
Appointment Type: This is a Temporary Provisional (TPV) position, limited to no more than 3 years in duration. This temporary position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process. This is considered "at will" and shall serve at the discretion of the Department Head. This position will be subject to the Permanent Civil Service examination process at a later date. Successful participation in the Permanent Civil Service examination and selection through an open competitive process is needed in order to be considered for the permanent appointment.
The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) shapes how land is used to meet community needs and guide our city’s future, creating inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous neighborhoods. We envision an equitable San Francisco where everyone thrives—a welcoming city that honors diverse cultures, provides secure housing, strengthens environmental resilience, and drives economic stability for current and future generations.
Role description
Under direction, the Planner III in the Environmental Planning Division performs difficult and responsible environmental review work, participating in all phases of environmental review including analysis of environmental impacts and mitigation measures; coordinates difficult environmental review cases; performs complex initial environmental studies; provides information to the public on environmental review procedures; evaluates projects for compliance with applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies; and coordinates with project sponsors, consultants, regulatory agencies, and other City departments on environmental review matters; and performs related duties as required. The Planner III may also perform complex and responsible planning work in areas such as land use, zoning, urban design, economic development, housing development, open space and recreation, code enforcement, historic preservation, real estate, waterfront planning, airport planning, park planning, natural resource management, emergency planning, or other related planning fields.
Important And Essential Duties
Essential duties of the position include but are not limited to the following:
- Performs difficult environmental impact evaluations of projects including review of technical portions of environmental impact reports (EIRs) involving mathematical modeling, surveys, analyses, and forecasts as applied to a range of environmental matters such as air pollution, water, energy, waste and endangered species
- Reviews EIRs for compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations
- Coordinates environmental impact reviews for major public and private projects, including preliminary conferences, consultations with consulting specialists, coordination with other involved agencies and Planning Department staff
- Prepares and presents environmental review findings, recommendations, staff reports, technical reports, correspondence, and other documents for the City Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, and other decision-making bodies
- Supervises, designs, and prepares graphic presentations including maps, reports, plans, PowerPoint (or similar) presentations, charts, models, sketches and graphs to illustrate and analyze environmental, planning and development concepts
- Reviews and/or coordinates the Federal, State, and Local permitting processes, including coordinating various stakeholders and integrating required data and documents and obtaining other regulatory approvals for projects
- Supervises and reviews the work of subordinates engaged in the performance of professional and sub-professional level planning work; oversees consultant planning work
- Prepares clearly written, concise staff reports and documents that are understandable to the general public; prepares (or assists in the preparation of) reports and planning studies; provides information on planning policies, practices and procedures
- Coordinates with other city, regulatory and governmental agencies on planning matters; reviews documents prepared by other government agencies, such as technical reports, policies, legislation and plans
- Represents the Department/Agency to government officials, community groups, developers, business organizations and the general public
- Interprets and explains legal, technical and procedural aspects of planning work to agencies, commissioners, government officials and members of the public
- Reviews project plans and supporting technical materials, including architectural, site, landscape, engineering, and other project documents (e.g., site plans, floor plans, exterior elevations; structural plans; etc.) for consistency with applicable environmental and planning requirements
Planner III’s may be required to attend meetings or participate in work-related activities outside of normal working hours (evenings and weekends) at local boards and commissions and in various community locations. Some positions may require possession of a valid driver license and may require specialized experience in order to perform department-specific planning duties.
Minimum Qualifications
- Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND four (4) years (8,000 hours) of verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in an urban, city, regional and/or other related planning environment (such as transportation planning, environmental planning, architecture or urban design); OR
- Possession of a master's degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies or Environmental Studies AND two (2) years (4,000 hours) of verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in an urban, city, regional and/or other related planning environment (such as transportation planning, environmental planning, architecture or urban design).
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.
Desirable Qualifications
During the selection process the following desirable qualifications may be used to identify applicants selected to become a job finalist.
- Experience conducting or coordinating environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and/or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Experience preparing, reviewing, or coordinating Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), and related environmental documents
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to land use and development projects
- Experience evaluating environmental impacts and mitigation measures related to topics such as air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, noise, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, energy, hazardous materials, and other environmental topics
- Experience coordinating environmental review with project sponsors, consultants, technical specialists, regulatory agencies, and other governmental agencies
- Experience reviewing technical studies, environmental analyses, and consultant-prepared environmental documents
- Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex environmental and planning concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience presenting environmental review findings and recommendations to planning commissions, boards, public agencies, community groups, and the public
- Experience using GIS, mapping, data analysis, or other technical tools to support environmental or planning analysis
Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidates’ qualifications. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview.
Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456
Note
Falsifying one's education training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.
How To Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Submit your application through this job ad.
- Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen
Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com). Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records.
Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
- Information About The Hiring Process
- Conviction History
- Employee Benefits Overview
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Disaster Service Worker
- ADA Accommodation
- Veterans Preference
- Right to Work
- Copies of Application Documents
- Diversity Statement
Questions:
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Zoey Feng, by telephone at 628-652-7628, or by email at yajian.feng@sfgov.org.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.
The San Francisco Planning Department is recruiting for one (1) Temporary Provisional (TPV) Planner III within the Environmental Planning Division.
Specific Information Regarding This Recruitment Process Is Listed Below
- Application Opening: October 13, 2026
- Application Deadline: November 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM (PST)
- Analyst: Zoey Feng
- Amended on October 27, 2026: Extended the application deadline. Applicants who have already applied to this recruitment do not need to re-apply.
Appointment Type: This is a Temporary Provisional (TPV) position, limited to no more than 3 years in duration. This temporary position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process. This is considered "at will" and shall serve at the discretion of the Department Head. This position will be subject to the Permanent Civil Service examination process at a later date. Successful participation in the Permanent Civil Service examination and selection through an open competitive process is needed in order to be considered for the permanent appointment.
The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) shapes how land is used to meet community needs and guide our city’s future, creating inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous neighborhoods. We envision an equitable San Francisco where everyone thrives—a welcoming city that honors diverse cultures, provides secure housing, strengthens environmental resilience, and drives economic stability for current and future generations.
Role description
Under direction, the Planner III in the Environmental Planning Division performs difficult and responsible environmental review work, participating in all phases of environmental review including analysis of environmental impacts and mitigation measures; coordinates difficult environmental review cases; performs complex initial environmental studies; provides information to the public on environmental review procedures; evaluates projects for compliance with applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies; and coordinates with project sponsors, consultants, regulatory agencies, and other City departments on environmental review matters; and performs related duties as required. The Planner III may also perform complex and responsible planning work in areas such as land use, zoning, urban design, economic development, housing development, open space and recreation, code enforcement, historic preservation, real estate, waterfront planning, airport planning, park planning, natural resource management, emergency planning, or other related planning fields.
Important And Essential Duties
Essential duties of the position include but are not limited to the following:
- Performs difficult environmental impact evaluations of projects including review of technical portions of environmental impact reports (EIRs) involving mathematical modeling, surveys, analyses, and forecasts as applied to a range of environmental matters such as air pollution, water, energy, waste and endangered species
- Reviews EIRs for compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations
- Coordinates environmental impact reviews for major public and private projects, including preliminary conferences, consultations with consulting specialists, coordination with other involved agencies and Planning Department staff
- Prepares and presents environmental review findings, recommendations, staff reports, technical reports, correspondence, and other documents for the City Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, and other decision-making bodies
- Supervises, designs, and prepares graphic presentations including maps, reports, plans, PowerPoint (or similar) presentations, charts, models, sketches and graphs to illustrate and analyze environmental, planning and development concepts
- Reviews and/or coordinates the Federal, State, and Local permitting processes, including coordinating various stakeholders and integrating required data and documents and obtaining other regulatory approvals for projects
- Supervises and reviews the work of subordinates engaged in the performance of professional and sub-professional level planning work; oversees consultant planning work
- Prepares clearly written, concise staff reports and documents that are understandable to the general public; prepares (or assists in the preparation of) reports and planning studies; provides information on planning policies, practices and procedures
- Coordinates with other city, regulatory and governmental agencies on planning matters; reviews documents prepared by other government agencies, such as technical reports, policies, legislation and plans
- Represents the Department/Agency to government officials, community groups, developers, business organizations and the general public
- Interprets and explains legal, technical and procedural aspects of planning work to agencies, commissioners, government officials and members of the public
- Reviews project plans and supporting technical materials, including architectural, site, landscape, engineering, and other project documents (e.g., site plans, floor plans, exterior elevations; structural plans; etc.) for consistency with applicable environmental and planning requirements
Planner III’s may be required to attend meetings or participate in work-related activities outside of normal working hours (evenings and weekends) at local boards and commissions and in various community locations. Some positions may require possession of a valid driver license and may require specialized experience in order to perform department-specific planning duties.
Minimum Qualifications
- Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND four (4) years (8,000 hours) of verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in an urban, city, regional and/or other related planning environment (such as transportation planning, environmental planning, architecture or urban design); OR
- Possession of a master's degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies or Environmental Studies AND two (2) years (4,000 hours) of verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in an urban, city, regional and/or other related planning environment (such as transportation planning, environmental planning, architecture or urban design).
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.
Desirable Qualifications
During the selection process the following desirable qualifications may be used to identify applicants selected to become a job finalist.
- Experience conducting or coordinating environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and/or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Experience preparing, reviewing, or coordinating Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), and related environmental documents
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to land use and development projects
- Experience evaluating environmental impacts and mitigation measures related to topics such as air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, noise, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, energy, hazardous materials, and other environmental topics
- Experience coordinating environmental review with project sponsors, consultants, technical specialists, regulatory agencies, and other governmental agencies
- Experience reviewing technical studies, environmental analyses, and consultant-prepared environmental documents
- Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex environmental and planning concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience presenting environmental review findings and recommendations to planning commissions, boards, public agencies, community groups, and the public
- Experience using GIS, mapping, data analysis, or other technical tools to support environmental or planning analysis
Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidates’ qualifications. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview.
Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456
Note
Falsifying one's education training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.
How To Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Submit your application through this job ad.
- Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen
Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com). Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records.
Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
- Information About The Hiring Process
- Conviction History
- Employee Benefits Overview
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Disaster Service Worker
- ADA Accommodation
- Veterans Preference
- Right to Work
- Copies of Application Documents
- Diversity Statement
Questions:
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Zoey Feng, by telephone at 628-652-7628, or by email at yajian.feng@sfgov.org.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.
Government Job Roles in California
See all 163+ Government Jobs in California
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Search Government Jobs in CaliforniaGovernment Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which government agencies in California sponsor the most visas?
Federal research institutions lead California government sponsorship, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Department of Defense sponsors extensively through Naval Air Warfare Centers and military research facilities. State agencies like Caltrans and the California Department of Public Health also sponsor visas for specialized engineering and scientific positions.
What visa types are most common for government jobs in California?
H-1B visas dominate government sponsorship in California, particularly for research scientists, engineers, and IT specialists at federal labs and agencies. O-1 visas are common for distinguished researchers at institutions like JPL and Berkeley Lab. Some positions qualify for cap-exempt H-1B status when affiliated with universities or research institutions, avoiding lottery requirements.
Which California cities have the most government visa sponsorship opportunities?
Sacramento leads with state government agencies and federal regional offices. Los Angeles area concentrates aerospace and defense contractors plus JPL positions. San Francisco Bay Area hosts Lawrence Berkeley Lab, USGS offices, and federal research facilities. San Diego offers Navy research positions and border-related federal agencies. These metropolitan areas account for over 80% of California's government sponsorship jobs.
How to find government visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Browse government positions on Migrate Mate to see California agencies actively sponsoring visas. USAJobs.gov lists federal openings, though visa sponsorship isn't always clearly indicated. Research labs often recruit directly from universities with established visa programs. Network through professional associations in your field, as many government research positions are filled through referrals and academic connections.
What makes California's government sector unique for visa sponsorship?
California's concentration of federal research labs creates exceptional opportunities for scientists and engineers seeking visa sponsorship. The state's defense and aerospace industry connections mean many positions require security clearances, though initial sponsorship doesn't require citizenship. Prevailing wages tend to be higher due to California's cost of living, and many positions offer pathways to permanent residency through specialized programs.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored government jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.