Laboratory Teaching Assistant Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Laboratory Teaching Assistant roles at U.S. universities can qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship when the position requires a bachelor's degree in a directly related scientific field. Many institutions also hire international candidates through J-1 visa exchange programs. Sponsorship availability varies by institution size, funding source, and whether the role is classified as a specialty occupation.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML) is jointly operated by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Cornell University. SML offers outstanding experiential, place-based education focused on understanding and sustaining our marine environment. Adjunct faculty at SML are experts in their field of study and help inspire the next generation of students towards careers in marine and environmental science and sustainability. All SML programs are infused with our ethos of responsible natural resource use and management, valuing scientific and community collaboration, and public service.
Teaching assistants will live in residence at SML, located on Appledore Island, Maine. Employment for this position is being offered within the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at UNH. This position is contingent on SML meeting course enrollment targets. Decisions to cancel credit courses are at the sole discretion of SML and will be made on a rolling basis. The position is also contingent upon successful completion of a background check process.
Duties/Responsibilities
Teaching assistants will be expected to follow the teaching plan established by your course faculty.
Tasks will include, but not be limited to:
- Assist course faculty with all aspects of delivering the course curriculum
- Assume the lead in preparing for field trips and lab exercises
- Assist SML staff with daily and weekly program-related duties that include stocking labs and classrooms
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:
- Academic experience in the subject matter. Associated field and/or lab experience is preferred but not required.
- Provide supervision and support to students in the classroom and lab.
- Help with administrative tasks that may include grading, record keeping, collections management
- Assist SML staff with creating a supportive learning environment for all students
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Strong knowledge of the subject matter
- Relevant field experience
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to manage time, materials and tasks efficiently
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- BA or BS in subject matter area preferred but not required
COMPENSATION PAY RANGE
$700/Weekly
The University of New Hampshire is committed to providing a safe environment for all persons, including but not limited to children, and to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect and crimes against children. All UNH youth program staff shall be subject to a criminal background check as required by NH State Law. Staff and volunteers will also be required to complete periodic child safety training.
The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.
EEO STATEMENT
The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.
The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here:
LOCATION
Durham
SALARY GRADE
Period Activity
INTRODUCTION
Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML) is jointly operated by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Cornell University. SML offers outstanding experiential, place-based education focused on understanding and sustaining our marine environment. Adjunct faculty at SML are experts in their field of study and help inspire the next generation of students towards careers in marine and environmental science and sustainability. All SML programs are infused with our ethos of responsible natural resource use and management, valuing scientific and community collaboration, and public service.
Teaching assistants will live in residence at SML, located on Appledore Island, Maine. Employment for this position is being offered within the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at UNH. This position is contingent on SML meeting course enrollment targets. Decisions to cancel credit courses are at the sole discretion of SML and will be made on a rolling basis. The position is also contingent upon successful completion of a background check process.
Duties/Responsibilities
Teaching assistants will be expected to follow the teaching plan established by your course faculty.
Tasks will include, but not be limited to:
- Assist course faculty with all aspects of delivering the course curriculum
- Assume the lead in preparing for field trips and lab exercises
- Assist SML staff with daily and weekly program-related duties that include stocking labs and classrooms
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:
- Academic experience in the subject matter. Associated field and/or lab experience is preferred but not required.
- Provide supervision and support to students in the classroom and lab.
- Help with administrative tasks that may include grading, record keeping, collections management
- Assist SML staff with creating a supportive learning environment for all students
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Strong knowledge of the subject matter
- Relevant field experience
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to manage time, materials and tasks efficiently
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- BA or BS in subject matter area preferred but not required
COMPENSATION PAY RANGE
$700/Weekly
The University of New Hampshire is committed to providing a safe environment for all persons, including but not limited to children, and to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect and crimes against children. All UNH youth program staff shall be subject to a criminal background check as required by NH State Law. Staff and volunteers will also be required to complete periodic child safety training.
The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.
EEO STATEMENT
The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.
The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here:
LOCATION
Durham
SALARY GRADE
Period Activity
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Laboratory Teaching Assistant
Verify your degree field matches the role
H-1B eligibility requires your bachelor's degree to directly relate to the lab subject you'll teach. A chemistry degree supports a chemistry lab TA role, but a general biology degree may not satisfy specialty occupation for a biochemistry lab position.
Target research universities over community colleges
Research universities with active federal grants and international faculty pipelines file H-1B petitions far more routinely than community colleges. Focus your search on institutions with doctoral programs in your field, where lab TA roles are more likely to be classified as specialty occupations.
Request a J-1 sponsorship through your department
Many university lab TA positions qualify under the J-1 Research Scholar or Intern category. Ask the department's international office whether they hold a designated sponsor organization number, since the J-1 requires a sponsor to issue your DS-2019 before you can proceed.
Look up prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Your employer's LCA must certify your salary meets the prevailing wage for your role and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the wage level for your specific lab TA title before your offer letter is finalized, so there are no surprises at the LCA stage.
Find sponsors through Migrate Mate before applying
Lab TA sponsorship history isn't visible on most job boards. Migrate Mate lists U.S. universities and research institutions with verified LCA filing history for teaching and laboratory roles, so you can target employers who've sponsored similar positions before reaching out.
Confirm STEM OPT eligibility extends your timeline
If your degree is in a STEM-designated field, your STEM OPT extension gives you up to 24 additional months of work authorization. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to sign your Form I-983, so confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting a lab TA offer under STEM OPT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Laboratory Teaching Assistant role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It depends on how the institution defines the position. If the job description requires a bachelor's degree in a specific scientific discipline, such as chemistry, biology, or physics, USCIS will generally accept it as a specialty occupation. Roles described as requiring any bachelor's degree, regardless of field, are more likely to face a Request for Evidence from USCIS.
Which visa types are realistic for international lab teaching assistants at U.S. universities?
H-1B is the most common work visa path, but it requires employer sponsorship and is subject to an annual cap and lottery. J-1 is a practical alternative for shorter-term lab TA roles, particularly if your university has a designated J-1 sponsor. F-1 students may work as lab TAs under OPT or STEM OPT while pursuing or just after completing a degree, with no employer petition required.
Do universities typically sponsor H-1B visas for laboratory teaching assistant positions?
Many large research universities do, particularly for positions tied to funded research labs or graduate programs in STEM fields. Smaller institutions and community colleges sponsor far less frequently. Reviewing an institution's public LCA disclosure history gives you a concrete signal of whether they've filed for comparable roles before you invest time in an application.
How can I find laboratory teaching assistant jobs where employers sponsor visas?
Migrate Mate shows verified sponsorship history for universities and research institutions hiring for teaching and laboratory roles, so you can focus your applications on employers who've actually filed LCAs for similar positions rather than relying on generic job postings.
Does PERM labor certification apply to laboratory teaching assistant roles?
PERM applies if the employer is pursuing a green card for you through the EB-2 or EB-3 category. For an EB-2 NIW, universities can self-petition without PERM if the work is in the national interest. For standard EB-3 sponsorship, PERM requires the employer to prove no qualified U.S. workers are available, which some academic institutions find difficult for TA roles.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Laboratory Teaching Assistant 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.