Environmental Planner Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Environmental Planner jobs attract H-1B visa and TN visa sponsorship from government agencies, consulting firms, and infrastructure developers. Roles typically require a bachelor's or master's in urban planning, environmental science, or a related field, and qualify as specialty occupations under USCIS guidelines.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Known as one of FORTUNE’S “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Kimley-Horn is seeking a Environmental Planner to expand our multi-disciplinary environmental planning team in Virginia Beach.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a key member on the planning and environmental team for infrastructure clients, serving as a Planning and Environmental Manager for infrastructure projects
- Lead the writing of technical plans and reports, summary papers, environmental documents, and re-evaluation, including defining work scope and developing recommendations
- Provide input, technical guidance, and direction to other team members, including managing workflow of the team
- Respond to information requests from the client and others on the project team
- Build and maintain client relationships
- Mentor and develop Analysts, provide leadership in an environment that encourages teamwork, initiative and growth
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the field of Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, or a related degree
- 7+ years of progressively responsible professional level planning experience related to specific area of assignment such as transportation planning, environmental planning or urban planning or Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience
- Excellent writing and communication skills, organization skills, problem solving, and consensus building
- Commitment to producing high quality work, with an emphasis on attention to detail
- Self-motivated team player
- Ability to balance priorities among multiple projects
- Ability to lead planning projects, including providing direction to entry-level Analysts
COMPENSATION:
- Base Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
INTRODUCTION
Known as one of FORTUNE’S “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Kimley-Horn is seeking a Environmental Planner to expand our multi-disciplinary environmental planning team in Virginia Beach.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a key member on the planning and environmental team for infrastructure clients, serving as a Planning and Environmental Manager for infrastructure projects
- Lead the writing of technical plans and reports, summary papers, environmental documents, and re-evaluation, including defining work scope and developing recommendations
- Provide input, technical guidance, and direction to other team members, including managing workflow of the team
- Respond to information requests from the client and others on the project team
- Build and maintain client relationships
- Mentor and develop Analysts, provide leadership in an environment that encourages teamwork, initiative and growth
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the field of Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, or a related degree
- 7+ years of progressively responsible professional level planning experience related to specific area of assignment such as transportation planning, environmental planning or urban planning or Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience
- Excellent writing and communication skills, organization skills, problem solving, and consensus building
- Commitment to producing high quality work, with an emphasis on attention to detail
- Self-motivated team player
- Ability to balance priorities among multiple projects
- Ability to lead planning projects, including providing direction to entry-level Analysts
COMPENSATION:
- Base Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
See all 31+ Environmental Planner Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as an Environmental Planner
Align your degree to specialty occupation standards
USCIS requires a direct relationship between your degree field and the Environmental Planner role. A degree in urban planning, environmental science, or geography maps cleanly. A business or unrelated degree needs supplemental coursework or work experience to close the gap.
Target NEPA-heavy employers for stronger sponsorship
Firms contracted for National Environmental Policy Act compliance work, including transportation agencies and infrastructure consultants, file LCAs more consistently for Environmental Planners. Their project pipelines justify the specialty occupation argument to USCIS far more credibly than generalist planning firms.
Search verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows employers with confirmed LCA filing history for Environmental Planner roles, so you can focus your applications on firms that have already cleared the sponsorship intent hurdle rather than cold-prospecting companies with no track record.
Check prevailing wage tiers before accepting an offer
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your location and experience level. Use the OFLC Wage Search to verify which wage level your offer falls into. A Level I offer when you have five years of experience can trigger an LCA compliance issue.
Prepare AICP credentials or state licensure documentation early
Some employers cite AICP certification or state environmental planner credentials in LCA filings to strengthen the specialty occupation case. Gather your continuing education records, examination transcripts, and any professional memberships before the offer stage so there's no filing delay.
Clarify PERM timing if the role is permanent
If your employer plans a green card sponsorship through the EB-2 or EB-3 category, PERM labor certification requires a formal recruitment process before DOL will certify the position. Starting that process during your first H-1B period avoids status gaps as your priority date matures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Environmental Planner qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes. Environmental Planner roles typically qualify under USCIS specialty occupation rules when the position requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as urban planning, environmental science, or geography. The employer must demonstrate that the role normally requires this specific educational background, not just any bachelor's degree.
Which visa types are realistic for foreign nationals working as Environmental Planners in the U.S.?
H-1B is the most common path and covers the full range of planning roles. Canadian and Mexican nationals can use TN visa status, since urban planners appear on the USMCA profession list, provided the role meets the degree requirement. Australians may qualify for the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and renews every two years. F-1 OPT and STEM OPT can bridge the gap while an H-1B petition is pending.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor Environmental Planner visas?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA filing history for Environmental Planner and related planning roles, so you can identify firms that have already sponsored candidates in this occupation rather than relying on job descriptions that mention sponsorship without any track record.
Does a three-year bachelor's degree from Australia or the U.K. satisfy USCIS specialty occupation requirements?
It can, but it requires a credential evaluation. USCIS accepts foreign three-year degrees as equivalent to a U.S. four-year bachelor's when a credentialing agency issues a positive evaluation. The employer should obtain this evaluation before filing the LCA. Gaps in equivalency are one of the more common RFE triggers for Environmental Planner petitions.
Can state or local government agencies sponsor Environmental Planners for H-1B visas?
Yes, and they have a structural advantage: government entities and affiliated nonprofits are cap-exempt, meaning they can file H-1B petitions at any time of year without entering the annual lottery. For Environmental Planners, positions at municipal planning departments, regional transportation authorities, and public universities bypass the lottery entirely, which significantly reduces timing risk.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Environmental Planner 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.