Peer Support Specialist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Peer Support Specialist roles draw on lived mental health or recovery experience, which creates a unique credential challenge for visa sponsorship candidates. Employers in community behavioral health, hospital systems, and state-funded programs do sponsor H-1B visa and green card pathways, but the role's certification requirements and prevailing wage classification require careful positioning from the start.
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Certified Peer Support Specialist / Peer Living Room Burlington, NC
Type: Regular
If you are a positive and personable individual looking for a satisfying and fun opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people with intellectual, developmental disabilities, and people facing mental health, and substance use challenges, join our team at RHA Health Services!
Provides highly individualized services in the Peer Living Room (PLR) in Burlington, NC.
The PLR is a drop-in space for anyone in the community seeking support, information, and connection with others seeking stability with behavioral health needs and increased quality of life and relationships. The PLR promotes individual self-determination and decision-making to individuals with Mental Health or Substance Abuse issues. Certified Peer Support Specialists also provide essential expertise and consultation to promote a culture in which each individual’s point of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into treatment, rehabilitation, and community self-help activities. This position may serve as a representative of RHA and the PLR with community stakeholders. The PLR also supports individuals in engaging in services, as requested. These interventions are strength-based and focused on promoting recovery, symptom reduction, increased coping skills, and achievement of the highest level of functioning in the community. Functions as a role model of competency in recovery and ongoing coping skills.
Pay: $17 per hour
Schedule: Primarily weekdays, with option to offer evening or weekend activities or attend community events.
Job Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Team Lead to develop a welcoming and trauma-informed space in the PLR.
- Develop group activities, manage schedule, maintain the PLR, and oversee all activities provided in the space.
- Modeling effective coping and self-help techniques to individuals.
- Providing empowerment skills and support in successful recovery living.
- Assisting individuals in finding resources, advising of processes, and encouraging follow-through with proposed resolutions, locating social activities, or providing other assistance as needed.
- Leading peer support groups with individuals served.
- Supporting/assisting individuals in daily decision making and resolution of minor problems.
- Facilitating social opportunities in the community.
- Fostering development of healthy relationships by encouraging participation in community activities.
- Sharing personal story of recovery and resilience to instill hope.
Position Requirements:
- Must be a Certified Peer Support Specialist in NC or PA.
- 2 years experience working with individuals with behavioral health issues preferred.
- Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and reliable transportation.
Pre-employment screening:
- Complete criminal background.
- Name checked in the registries. (OIG exclusions database, Child Abuse Registry, and Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities).
- Drug testing.
- Education verification and other credentialing based on position requirements.
- Proof of employment history or references (if required).
- Positions that require driving: Proof of driver's license, driver's insurance, and vehicle, IF required for providing transportation for individuals.
We offer the following benefits to employees:
- Payactiv: early access to the money you’ve earned from hours you’ve already worked, before payday!
- Employee perks and discount program: to help you save money!
- Paid Time Off (full-time employees only).
- Health/Insurance (full-time employees only).
- 401(k) retirement savings program.
- Wellbeing Programs: Physical, Emotional and Financial.
- Chronic Disease management programs for hypertension and diabetes (for qualifying employees).
- Training: Free CPR, first aid, and job-specific training opportunities.
- Contract/contingent workers and interns do not qualify for any of the above benefits.
EEO Statement RHA is an equal opportunity employer. In addition, we provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact our solutions center.
About RHA:
At RHA Health Services, we help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health and/or substance use needs live their best lives. Our mission is to provide a safe and healthy environment while creating opportunities for personal outcomes.
For over 30 years, the people we serve and support have remained at the very center of everything we do. RHA currently provides services in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and New Jersey.
If you are ready to make a difference in the lives of people we serve and support, apply to join the team today.
We are hiring for:
Certified Peer Support Specialist / Peer Living Room Burlington, NC
Type: Regular
If you are a positive and personable individual looking for a satisfying and fun opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people with intellectual, developmental disabilities, and people facing mental health, and substance use challenges, join our team at RHA Health Services!
Provides highly individualized services in the Peer Living Room (PLR) in Burlington, NC.
The PLR is a drop-in space for anyone in the community seeking support, information, and connection with others seeking stability with behavioral health needs and increased quality of life and relationships. The PLR promotes individual self-determination and decision-making to individuals with Mental Health or Substance Abuse issues. Certified Peer Support Specialists also provide essential expertise and consultation to promote a culture in which each individual’s point of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into treatment, rehabilitation, and community self-help activities. This position may serve as a representative of RHA and the PLR with community stakeholders. The PLR also supports individuals in engaging in services, as requested. These interventions are strength-based and focused on promoting recovery, symptom reduction, increased coping skills, and achievement of the highest level of functioning in the community. Functions as a role model of competency in recovery and ongoing coping skills.
Pay: $17 per hour
Schedule: Primarily weekdays, with option to offer evening or weekend activities or attend community events.
Job Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Team Lead to develop a welcoming and trauma-informed space in the PLR.
- Develop group activities, manage schedule, maintain the PLR, and oversee all activities provided in the space.
- Modeling effective coping and self-help techniques to individuals.
- Providing empowerment skills and support in successful recovery living.
- Assisting individuals in finding resources, advising of processes, and encouraging follow-through with proposed resolutions, locating social activities, or providing other assistance as needed.
- Leading peer support groups with individuals served.
- Supporting/assisting individuals in daily decision making and resolution of minor problems.
- Facilitating social opportunities in the community.
- Fostering development of healthy relationships by encouraging participation in community activities.
- Sharing personal story of recovery and resilience to instill hope.
Position Requirements:
- Must be a Certified Peer Support Specialist in NC or PA.
- 2 years experience working with individuals with behavioral health issues preferred.
- Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and reliable transportation.
Pre-employment screening:
- Complete criminal background.
- Name checked in the registries. (OIG exclusions database, Child Abuse Registry, and Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities).
- Drug testing.
- Education verification and other credentialing based on position requirements.
- Proof of employment history or references (if required).
- Positions that require driving: Proof of driver's license, driver's insurance, and vehicle, IF required for providing transportation for individuals.
We offer the following benefits to employees:
- Payactiv: early access to the money you’ve earned from hours you’ve already worked, before payday!
- Employee perks and discount program: to help you save money!
- Paid Time Off (full-time employees only).
- Health/Insurance (full-time employees only).
- 401(k) retirement savings program.
- Wellbeing Programs: Physical, Emotional and Financial.
- Chronic Disease management programs for hypertension and diabetes (for qualifying employees).
- Training: Free CPR, first aid, and job-specific training opportunities.
- Contract/contingent workers and interns do not qualify for any of the above benefits.
EEO Statement RHA is an equal opportunity employer. In addition, we provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact our solutions center.
About RHA:
At RHA Health Services, we help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health and/or substance use needs live their best lives. Our mission is to provide a safe and healthy environment while creating opportunities for personal outcomes.
For over 30 years, the people we serve and support have remained at the very center of everything we do. RHA currently provides services in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and New Jersey.
If you are ready to make a difference in the lives of people we serve and support, apply to join the team today.
See all 62+ Peer Support Specialist Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Peer Support Specialist
Get your peer certification recognized early
State-issued peer support certifications don't transfer automatically across borders. Research whether your home-country credential maps to a U.S. state certification program before applying, since employers filing an LCA need a clear specialty occupation rationale tied to your qualifications.
Target community mental health centers strategically
Federally Qualified Health Centers and state-funded behavioral health agencies are more likely to have established immigration counsel and prior LCA filing experience than small private practices, making them more viable sponsors for peer support roles requiring H-1B status.
Search verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Filter for Peer Support Specialist roles on Migrate Mate to see employers with confirmed LCA filing history in behavioral health. This saves you from applying to organizations that have never sponsored the role and won't start for a first hire.
Clarify the specialty occupation argument upfront
USCIS scrutinizes peer support roles because the position title doesn't always require a specific bachelor's degree. Work with your employer's immigration counsel to document that your role requires a degree in psychology, social work, or a directly related field, not just lived experience alone.
Verify prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for Peer Support Specialist in the employer's county before you negotiate. If the offered salary falls below the Level I or Level II threshold, the LCA will fail DOL certification regardless of employer intent.
Confirm PERM labor certification applicability for green card paths
Some behavioral health employers will sponsor an EB-2 or EB-3 green card after two or more years, but PERM requires proving no qualified U.S. workers were available. Ask explicitly whether the employer has completed PERM filings for peer support or similar titles before counting on that path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Peer Support Specialist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but it isn't automatic. USCIS requires that the position normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field like psychology, social work, or counseling. If the job description allows any bachelor's degree or substitutes lived experience for education, the H-1B petition is vulnerable to a Request for Evidence. Employers need to document the degree requirement clearly in the offer letter and job posting.
Which visa types are most common for international Peer Support Specialists working in the U.S.?
H-1B is the most used pathway when the role meets specialty occupation criteria. TN visa status is not available for Peer Support Specialists since the role doesn't appear on the USMCA profession list. Some candidates with an F-1 background work under OPT or STEM OPT if their degree qualifies, then transition to H-1B sponsorship. Green card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-3 is possible at employers with established immigration programs.
What degree does a Peer Support Specialist need to get visa sponsorship?
For H-1B eligibility, the position must require at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as psychology, social work, counseling, or behavioral health. A general business or unrelated degree won't support the specialty occupation argument. Some employers list a master's in social work as the minimum, which strengthens the USCIS case. Lived recovery experience alone, without a qualifying degree, cannot anchor an H-1B petition.
How do I find employers who have actually sponsored Peer Support Specialist roles before?
Migrate Mate shows verified sponsorship history by role and employer, so you can focus your applications on organizations that have already filed LCAs for peer support or closely related behavioral health titles. This matters because many community mental health employers want to sponsor but lack the internal infrastructure or prior experience to do it successfully for the first time.
Can a Peer Support Specialist role be sponsored for a green card, and how long does it take?
Yes, EB-3 skilled worker is the most practical green card category for this role, requiring PERM labor certification from DOL followed by an I-140 petition filed with USCIS. Total timeline from PERM filing to green card approval varies significantly based on your country of birth, since per-country backlogs apply. Candidates born in India or China face multi-year waits, while most other nationalities see shorter queues.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Peer Support Specialist 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.