Civil Design Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Civil design engineer jobs attract strong H-1B visa sponsorship from infrastructure, transportation, and municipal engineering firms. Your specialty occupation status is well-established under USCIS guidelines, and employers in this field regularly file Labor Condition Applications for roles requiring a civil engineering degree. No lottery anxiety for E-3 visa or TN visa-eligible candidates.
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Get Access To All JobsRequisition ID # 175626
Job Category: Engineering / Science
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Business Unit: Energy Delivery
Work Type: Hybrid
Job Location: Fresno
Department Overview
The hardworking coworkers of Electric Engineering ensure all manners of electric engineering—including electric standards and process safety, electric design engineering, instrumentation testing and controls, undergrounding, electric regulatory compliance and electric investment planning—are in place to safely enable a strategic and stable workplan for our Electric Operations partners. Our organization is accountable for program planning, financial budgeting, and project execution and delivery of all electric engineering projects. Electric Engineering is comprised of approximately 2,000 coworkers.
The Engineering and Design team of Transmission Operations Substation Engineering is responsible for civil, electrical and protection engineering work for all PG&E’s substations. Civil design includes substation design of foundations, structures, grading, equipment seismic qualification, SPCC plans and modifications, and seismic retrofit of buildings and equipment.
Position Summary
This entry-level position is represented by Engineers and Scientist of California (ESC) subject to collective bargaining.
As a Civil/Structural Design Engineer in the Substation Civil Engineering department, you will develop civil, structural and environmental designs for our large network of high voltage substations. From our centralized office, you will prepare construction drawings and supporting calculations, participate in field reviews at substation facilities and discuss project objectives with other stakeholders in engineering, construction, operations and maintenance. You will use a variety of design tools, including AutoCAD 3D for drawing development, and SAP2000, PLS-CADD and L-PILE for structural analysis and design.
This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory.
PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreement, and internal equity.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the hourly rate range for this position is $46.94 to $78.14, subject to collectively bargained wage increases.
Job Responsibilities
- Actively promote safe practices and conduct in accordance with the Corporate Safety policy.
- Design and retrofit steel structures, reinforced concrete foundations, anchorage, retaining walls, control buildings and equipment support per PG&E Design Criteria.
- Design access roads, drainage and soil retention systems, and grading and layout of new substations.
- Design spill containment systems for large oil-filled electrical equipment for environmental compliance.
- Prepare construction drawings using AutoCAD Civil 3D.
- Provide Construction Administration assistance to the Responsible Engineer, including review of shop drawings, RFIs and submittals.
- Foster teamwork and innovation and embrace new approaches to accomplish our work more efficiently and effectively.
- Travel 10% of the time.
Qualifications
Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering; or, its equivalent in education and experience to include education and design drafting experience totaling six years; or education and experience totaling four years including two years at PG&E as a Design Drafter or Senior Design Drafter. Must possess and maintain a valid Class C California Driver's License (or higher) by day 1 of hire.
Desired:
- 1 year of experience in structural engineering
- M.S. degree in Civil or Structural Engineering
- EIT or PE License
- Knowledge of building codes including ASCE 7, CBC, ACI 318 and AISC 360
- Experience with SAP2000 or equivalent structural analysis software
- Experienced with MS Office
Requisition ID # 175626
Job Category: Engineering / Science
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Business Unit: Energy Delivery
Work Type: Hybrid
Job Location: Fresno
Department Overview
The hardworking coworkers of Electric Engineering ensure all manners of electric engineering—including electric standards and process safety, electric design engineering, instrumentation testing and controls, undergrounding, electric regulatory compliance and electric investment planning—are in place to safely enable a strategic and stable workplan for our Electric Operations partners. Our organization is accountable for program planning, financial budgeting, and project execution and delivery of all electric engineering projects. Electric Engineering is comprised of approximately 2,000 coworkers.
The Engineering and Design team of Transmission Operations Substation Engineering is responsible for civil, electrical and protection engineering work for all PG&E’s substations. Civil design includes substation design of foundations, structures, grading, equipment seismic qualification, SPCC plans and modifications, and seismic retrofit of buildings and equipment.
Position Summary
This entry-level position is represented by Engineers and Scientist of California (ESC) subject to collective bargaining.
As a Civil/Structural Design Engineer in the Substation Civil Engineering department, you will develop civil, structural and environmental designs for our large network of high voltage substations. From our centralized office, you will prepare construction drawings and supporting calculations, participate in field reviews at substation facilities and discuss project objectives with other stakeholders in engineering, construction, operations and maintenance. You will use a variety of design tools, including AutoCAD 3D for drawing development, and SAP2000, PLS-CADD and L-PILE for structural analysis and design.
This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory.
PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreement, and internal equity.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the hourly rate range for this position is $46.94 to $78.14, subject to collectively bargained wage increases.
Job Responsibilities
- Actively promote safe practices and conduct in accordance with the Corporate Safety policy.
- Design and retrofit steel structures, reinforced concrete foundations, anchorage, retaining walls, control buildings and equipment support per PG&E Design Criteria.
- Design access roads, drainage and soil retention systems, and grading and layout of new substations.
- Design spill containment systems for large oil-filled electrical equipment for environmental compliance.
- Prepare construction drawings using AutoCAD Civil 3D.
- Provide Construction Administration assistance to the Responsible Engineer, including review of shop drawings, RFIs and submittals.
- Foster teamwork and innovation and embrace new approaches to accomplish our work more efficiently and effectively.
- Travel 10% of the time.
Qualifications
Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering; or, its equivalent in education and experience to include education and design drafting experience totaling six years; or education and experience totaling four years including two years at PG&E as a Design Drafter or Senior Design Drafter. Must possess and maintain a valid Class C California Driver's License (or higher) by day 1 of hire.
Desired:
- 1 year of experience in structural engineering
- M.S. degree in Civil or Structural Engineering
- EIT or PE License
- Knowledge of building codes including ASCE 7, CBC, ACI 318 and AISC 360
- Experience with SAP2000 or equivalent structural analysis software
- Experienced with MS Office
See all 47+ Civil Design Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Civil Design Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Civil Design Engineer
Align your degree to specialty occupation
USCIS requires your degree field to directly match the role. A civil engineering or structural engineering degree maps cleanly, but a general engineering or construction management degree may trigger an RFE. Pull your transcripts and confirm the declared major before applying.
Search LCA-verified employers on Migrate Mate
Find civil design engineer roles on Migrate Mate, which lists employers with verified DOL Labor Condition Application filing history for this occupation. That filing record confirms the employer has sponsored this role type before and understands the process.
Target infrastructure and municipal project firms
Federal highway, water treatment, and transit agencies contract with engineering consultancies that file H-1B petitions routinely. Firms holding multi-year public works contracts have predictable staffing cycles and are more likely to sponsor than project-based commercial developers.
Get your credentials evaluated early
If you completed a three-year civil engineering degree outside the U.S., obtain a credential evaluation from a NACES-member service before interviewing. USCIS scrutinizes non-four-year degrees, and having a equivalency letter ready removes a common RFE trigger from the petition.
Confirm PE licensure requirements before the offer
Some civil design roles require a Professional Engineer license or at minimum an Engineer-in-Training designation. Sponsoring employers may build PE exam preparation into your onboarding, but you need to know the state's licensure rules before the offer stage, not after.
Understand the PERM labor certification timeline for green card
If your employer moves you toward an EB-2 or EB-3 green card after your H-1B, PERM labor certification adds roughly 12 to 18 months before the I-140 petition is even filed. Raise this timeline with your employer during the offer negotiation, not years into your employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a civil design engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes. Civil design engineering consistently qualifies as a specialty occupation under USCIS criteria because the role normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in civil, structural, or geotechnical engineering. Job postings that list a specific engineering discipline as a minimum requirement strengthen the petition. Roles described as general project management with incidental design duties can face scrutiny, so your offer letter should clearly reflect the engineering nature of the position.
Which visa types are available to civil design engineers seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the most common path, subject to the annual cap and lottery. Australian citizens can apply for the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and a cap that has never been exhausted. Canadian and Mexican nationals with a civil engineering degree may qualify for TN status under the USMCA engineer category. Each path requires a qualifying job offer and confirmation that the role meets specialty occupation standards.
How do I find civil design engineering employers who actively sponsor visas?
Migrate Mate lists civil design engineer roles from employers with verified sponsorship histories, so you can target companies that have already navigated the filing process for this occupation rather than approaching employers who have never done it before.
Does my Professional Engineer license status affect my H-1B petition?
A PE license is not required for H-1B approval, but it strengthens the specialty occupation argument by demonstrating recognized professional standing. If your offer letter specifies that a PE license is preferred or required, USCIS treats that as additional evidence the role demands specialized knowledge. Unlicensed candidates should ensure their degree credentials are strong and that the job description clearly references engineering tasks requiring that degree-level training.
Can a civil design engineer on H-1B change employers without losing status?
Yes. Under H-1B portability, you can start working for a new employer once the new I-129 petition is filed with USCIS, provided you're currently in valid H-1B status. You don't need to wait for approval before starting. The new employer must file a fresh LCA with DOL at the prevailing wage for the new work location, and the job must remain a qualifying specialty occupation.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Civil Design Engineer 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.