Aircraft Mechanic Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Aircraft mechanic jobs in the U.S. qualify for H-2B visa, TN visa (for Canadian and Mexican nationals), and EB-3 green card sponsorship. Employers in MRO, commercial aviation, and defense contracting regularly file labor certifications for licensed A&P mechanics, making this one of the more sponsorship-active trades in aviation maintenance.
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Get Access To All JobsWork Schedule and Training Requirements
- Candidates must be available to work any shift, including weekends.
- Training will take place on first shift, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Required availability to start: January 11.
Job Overview
- You will be part of the Production Structures/Assembler team supporting the Greenville Production Team.
- The team is responsible for the production, build, repair, and delivery of F-16 and C-130 aircraft to customers.
- As a Production Structures/Assembler, F-16/C-130 Technician, you will be responsible for interpreting blueprints, fabricating assemblies, and installing and repairing various sheet metal and structural assemblies and subassemblies for F-16/C-130 aircraft using sheet metal tools.
The role also requires knowledge of aircraft structural assembly operations and maintenance, including:
- Precision drilling and reaming.
- Riveting and installation of various fasteners.
- Light structural repair and replacement of thin skins.
- Aircraft structural assembly, installation, and repair activities.
General Requirements and Physical Demands
The candidate will be required to:
- Understand documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
- Use hands to grasp, handle, and/or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk; and hear.
- Frequently stand, walk, stoop, kneel, squat, crawl, twist, and work on or inside aircraft.
- Frequently lift, push, or pull up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
- Perform repetitive movements and work overhead.
- Work safely and efficiently while maintaining a clean, Foreign Object Debris (FOD) free work area.
- Properly use, handle, and dispose of hazardous materials and toxic or caustic chemicals in accordance with government regulations and company procedures.
- Mission essential functions and other duties may be assigned as required.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- While performing essential job functions, employees will be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as needed to perform job tasks.
- Employees are regularly exposed to vibration.
Basic Qualifications
- F-16/C-130 specific structural experience or extensive experience with flight control work, including ailerons, rudders, flaps, etc.
- Experience with light structural repair and replacement of thin skins.
- 8+ years of aviation, heavy/light manufacturing, assembly, or repair experience.
- Basic understanding of manufacturing processes.
- Ability to perform assembly and installation work using assembly jigs, fixtures, test equipment, precision measuring instruments, and mechanics hand tools.
- Experience reading and interpreting written specifications, blueprints, and engineering drawings, including understanding symbols, flags, and general notes.
Desired Qualifications
- Heavy/light aircraft structural repair or aircraft sheet metal experience.
- Aircraft structural modification or heavy/light structures overhaul experience.
- Aircraft assembly, maintenance, and/or modification experience. Commercial experience will also be considered.
- Experience with drill reaming, countersinking, and hydraulic installations.
Pay
- Pay: $30.00 - $38.00 per hour
Expected hours
- Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Benefits
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s)
- How many Years of experience do you have working in an aerospace structural repair or Manufacturing environment?
Shift availability
- Day Shift (Preferred)
- Night Shift (Preferred)
- Overnight Shift (Preferred)
Ability to Commute
- Greenville, SC 29607 (Required)
Work Location
- In person
Work Schedule and Training Requirements
- Candidates must be available to work any shift, including weekends.
- Training will take place on first shift, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Required availability to start: January 11.
Job Overview
- You will be part of the Production Structures/Assembler team supporting the Greenville Production Team.
- The team is responsible for the production, build, repair, and delivery of F-16 and C-130 aircraft to customers.
- As a Production Structures/Assembler, F-16/C-130 Technician, you will be responsible for interpreting blueprints, fabricating assemblies, and installing and repairing various sheet metal and structural assemblies and subassemblies for F-16/C-130 aircraft using sheet metal tools.
The role also requires knowledge of aircraft structural assembly operations and maintenance, including:
- Precision drilling and reaming.
- Riveting and installation of various fasteners.
- Light structural repair and replacement of thin skins.
- Aircraft structural assembly, installation, and repair activities.
General Requirements and Physical Demands
The candidate will be required to:
- Understand documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
- Use hands to grasp, handle, and/or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk; and hear.
- Frequently stand, walk, stoop, kneel, squat, crawl, twist, and work on or inside aircraft.
- Frequently lift, push, or pull up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
- Perform repetitive movements and work overhead.
- Work safely and efficiently while maintaining a clean, Foreign Object Debris (FOD) free work area.
- Properly use, handle, and dispose of hazardous materials and toxic or caustic chemicals in accordance with government regulations and company procedures.
- Mission essential functions and other duties may be assigned as required.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- While performing essential job functions, employees will be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as needed to perform job tasks.
- Employees are regularly exposed to vibration.
Basic Qualifications
- F-16/C-130 specific structural experience or extensive experience with flight control work, including ailerons, rudders, flaps, etc.
- Experience with light structural repair and replacement of thin skins.
- 8+ years of aviation, heavy/light manufacturing, assembly, or repair experience.
- Basic understanding of manufacturing processes.
- Ability to perform assembly and installation work using assembly jigs, fixtures, test equipment, precision measuring instruments, and mechanics hand tools.
- Experience reading and interpreting written specifications, blueprints, and engineering drawings, including understanding symbols, flags, and general notes.
Desired Qualifications
- Heavy/light aircraft structural repair or aircraft sheet metal experience.
- Aircraft structural modification or heavy/light structures overhaul experience.
- Aircraft assembly, maintenance, and/or modification experience. Commercial experience will also be considered.
- Experience with drill reaming, countersinking, and hydraulic installations.
Pay
- Pay: $30.00 - $38.00 per hour
Expected hours
- Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Benefits
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s)
- How many Years of experience do you have working in an aerospace structural repair or Manufacturing environment?
Shift availability
- Day Shift (Preferred)
- Night Shift (Preferred)
- Overnight Shift (Preferred)
Ability to Commute
- Greenville, SC 29607 (Required)
Work Location
- In person
See all 35+ Aircraft Mechanic Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Aircraft Mechanic roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as an Aircraft Mechanic
Verify your FAA certificate transfers correctly
Your home-country aircraft maintenance license doesn't automatically satisfy FAA Airframe and Powerplant requirements. Start the foreign credential conversion process early, FAA examinations and practical tests add months to your timeline before any employer can sponsor you.
Target MRO facilities over airlines directly
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities sponsor significantly more foreign workers than airline flight operations divisions. Regional MRO shops that hold FAA repair station certificates often have ongoing staffing needs that make sponsorship more practical than a large carrier's internal pipeline.
Search verified sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with confirmed aircraft mechanic LCA or PERM filing history. This filters out companies that claim to sponsor but have no DOL record, saving you from dead-end applications in a highly credentialed field.
Distinguish H-2B from EB-3 when evaluating offers
H-2B status is temporary and tied to a single employer's seasonal or peak-load need, while EB-3 sponsorship through PERM leads to permanent residence. Ask hiring managers explicitly which pathway they're offering before accepting, since the two have very different long-term implications.
Confirm the prevailing wage tier before signing
DOL sets four wage levels for aircraft mechanic roles based on experience and supervision. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level II or Level III rate for the specific work location before your offer letter is drafted, so you can flag any underpayment early.
Prepare type-rating and airframe documentation proactively
USCIS adjudicators and DOL PERM auditors scrutinize aircraft mechanic petitions for credential specificity. Gather your logbooks, type-rating certificates, and employer verification letters covering each aircraft platform you're certified on before the sponsoring employer files anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What visas can an aircraft mechanic use for U.S. sponsorship?
Aircraft mechanics most commonly come to the U.S. on H-2B visas for temporary or seasonal positions, or through EB-3 green card sponsorship for permanent roles. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN if the role fits the USMCA profession list. H-1B visa does not apply because aircraft mechanic work does not require a specialty occupation bachelor's degree in a directly related field.
Does an aircraft mechanic need a U.S. degree for visa sponsorship?
A four-year degree is not required, but FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification is effectively mandatory. EB-3 skilled worker sponsorship requires at least two years of training or experience, which most licensed mechanics already have. The degree question matters less than demonstrating the specific FAA credentials and airframe experience the employer needs to justify the PERM labor certification.
How does the PERM labor certification process work for aircraft mechanics?
PERM requires the employer to prove no qualified, available U.S. worker applied for the role. DOL reviews recruitment records, wage compliance, and job requirements before certifying. Aircraft mechanic PERM cases are sometimes audited because the job is well-defined and the domestic labor market is documented. The full PERM and I-140 process typically takes one to two years before an immigrant visa becomes available.
Where can I find U.S. employers who sponsor aircraft mechanics?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship filing history for aircraft mechanic roles, searchable by location and visa type. This is the most direct way to identify which MRO facilities, defense contractors, and regional carriers have an active track record of filing for foreign workers in this occupation.
Does my foreign aircraft maintenance license count toward FAA certification?
Foreign aviation authority licenses don't automatically transfer to FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificates. The FAA evaluates foreign credentials case by case and may credit some training or experience, but most internationally trained mechanics still need to pass FAA written and oral exams. Starting this process before engaging employers is critical because sponsoring employers expect you to hold or be near completion of FAA certification before filing.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Aircraft Mechanic jobs?
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.