Residential Counselor Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Residential Counselor roles at group homes, residential treatment facilities, and community mental health programs do sponsor visas, but the path depends on your credentials, your employer's size, and which visa category fits your degree. H-1B visa and EB-3 are the most common routes for qualified candidates.
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Get Access To All JobsAutism Residential Counselor
Boston Higashi School | Randolph, MA
Full-Time | Starting at $20.00/hour | Excellent Benefits
Bachelor’s Degree Required
Turn Your Degree Into Meaningful Experience
Have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, human services, behavioral science, social work, or a related field and looking for a role where you can build real-world experience?
Boston Higashi School is hiring Autism Residential Counselors to work directly with children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates, early-career professionals, or anyone considering graduate school or a future career in psychology, counseling, education, ABA, social work, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, or other helping professions.
You’ll gain hands-on experience while helping students develop greater independence, confidence, communication skills, and daily living skills.
No prior autism experience is required. We provide training and ongoing support.
What You’ll Do
- Support students in developing daily living and independence skills
- Help students participate in recreational, social, and community activities
- Build positive and meaningful relationships with students
- Encourage communication, confidence, and personal growth
- Participate in exercise, outings, activities, and residential programming
- Help maintain a safe, supportive, and structured residential environment
- Work alongside educators, psychologists, therapists, behavioral specialists, and other professionals
- Learn practical strategies for supporting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities
Why Boston Higashi?
- Starting pay of $20.00/hour
- Up to 75% tuition reimbursement
- Medical and dental insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Paid training
- Paid vacation and time off
- Opportunities for advancement
- Stable, year-round employment
- Hands-on experience for graduate school and future professional careers
- Multidisciplinary work environment with experienced professionals
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Degrees in Psychology, Education, Behavioral Sciences, Human Services, Social Work, or related fields preferred
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Dependable, patient, and willing to learn
- Valid driver’s license
- Comfortable participating in physical exercise, recreational activities, and community outings with students
Schedule
This is a full-time residential position that includes afternoon, evening, and weekend hours.
Our residential program operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Specific schedules will be discussed during the interview process.
Build Experience That Can Shape Your Career
For someone considering graduate school or a career working with children, individuals with disabilities, mental health, education, or human services, this position offers experience that is difficult to gain in a traditional entry-level role.
You won’t just observe the work. You’ll be an active part of helping students develop the skills they need to become more independent.
If you have a bachelor’s degree and want meaningful, hands-on experience while making a difference, we encourage you to apply.
Boston Higashi School is an equal opportunity employer.
Autism Residential Counselor
Boston Higashi School | Randolph, MA
Full-Time | Starting at $20.00/hour | Excellent Benefits
Bachelor’s Degree Required
Turn Your Degree Into Meaningful Experience
Have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, human services, behavioral science, social work, or a related field and looking for a role where you can build real-world experience?
Boston Higashi School is hiring Autism Residential Counselors to work directly with children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates, early-career professionals, or anyone considering graduate school or a future career in psychology, counseling, education, ABA, social work, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, or other helping professions.
You’ll gain hands-on experience while helping students develop greater independence, confidence, communication skills, and daily living skills.
No prior autism experience is required. We provide training and ongoing support.
What You’ll Do
- Support students in developing daily living and independence skills
- Help students participate in recreational, social, and community activities
- Build positive and meaningful relationships with students
- Encourage communication, confidence, and personal growth
- Participate in exercise, outings, activities, and residential programming
- Help maintain a safe, supportive, and structured residential environment
- Work alongside educators, psychologists, therapists, behavioral specialists, and other professionals
- Learn practical strategies for supporting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities
Why Boston Higashi?
- Starting pay of $20.00/hour
- Up to 75% tuition reimbursement
- Medical and dental insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Paid training
- Paid vacation and time off
- Opportunities for advancement
- Stable, year-round employment
- Hands-on experience for graduate school and future professional careers
- Multidisciplinary work environment with experienced professionals
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Degrees in Psychology, Education, Behavioral Sciences, Human Services, Social Work, or related fields preferred
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Dependable, patient, and willing to learn
- Valid driver’s license
- Comfortable participating in physical exercise, recreational activities, and community outings with students
Schedule
This is a full-time residential position that includes afternoon, evening, and weekend hours.
Our residential program operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Specific schedules will be discussed during the interview process.
Build Experience That Can Shape Your Career
For someone considering graduate school or a career working with children, individuals with disabilities, mental health, education, or human services, this position offers experience that is difficult to gain in a traditional entry-level role.
You won’t just observe the work. You’ll be an active part of helping students develop the skills they need to become more independent.
If you have a bachelor’s degree and want meaningful, hands-on experience while making a difference, we encourage you to apply.
Boston Higashi School is an equal opportunity employer.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Residential Counselor
Verify your degree meets specialty occupation standards
Residential Counselor positions vary widely. Roles requiring a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or counseling qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B purposes. Paraprofessional roles that accept any degree or a high school diploma don't, so confirm the job posting's stated education requirement before applying.
Look up the prevailing wage before negotiating
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your location and role level. Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the wage tier for Residential Counselors in your city before you receive an offer, so you can spot underpaying employers early.
Target nonprofits and state-contracted residential providers
Nonprofits operating group homes under government contracts are accustomed to paperwork-heavy compliance requirements and are more likely to have sponsored visas before. Search Migrate Mate to find residential care employers with verified LCA filing history, filtered to roles matching your background.
Ask employers directly about EB-3 as an alternative path
If you lack a bachelor's degree, the EB-3 skilled worker green card route requires PERM labor certification but doesn't require a specialty occupation. Residential Counselor roles with two or more years of required experience can qualify, making this viable for candidates with a diploma and significant field experience.
Get your credentials evaluated before the offer stage
If you completed your degree outside the U.S., your employer's immigration attorney will need a credential evaluation from a NACES-member service. Delays here can stall USCIS filing. Order the evaluation as soon as you start applying, not after you've accepted an offer.
Clarify who pays immigration filing costs upfront
Residential care employers, especially small nonprofits, sometimes try to pass USCIS filing fees to the employee. For H-1B, the employer is legally required to pay the basic filing fee. Confirm this in writing before signing an offer letter to avoid disputes after the process begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Residential Counselor jobs qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship?
Some do, but not all. The H-1B requires a specialty occupation, meaning the role must require at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field like social work, psychology, or counseling. Residential Counselor positions at clinical or therapeutic facilities typically qualify. Paraprofessional or direct-care roles that accept any degree or no degree don't meet USCIS's specialty occupation standard.
Which visa types are realistic for a foreign-born Residential Counselor?
H-1B is the most common nonimmigrant option for degree-holding candidates. If you hold a TN visa-eligible profession like Social Worker and your role matches that description, TN may apply for Canadian or Mexican nationals. For longer-term residence, EB-3 through PERM labor certification is an option for roles requiring two or more years of experience, even without a four-year degree.
How do I find employers who have actually sponsored Residential Counselors before?
Browse Migrate Mate to find residential care and behavioral health employers with verified sponsorship history. This is the most reliable way to focus your job search on organizations that have already navigated the filing process for roles like yours, rather than approaching employers who've never sponsored a visa and may decline once they learn the requirements.
Does my social work or counseling degree from another country count toward H-1B eligibility?
Yes, foreign degrees can satisfy the H-1B specialty occupation requirement, but they must be evaluated by a NACES-member credential evaluation service to confirm equivalence to a U.S. bachelor's degree. USCIS will review the evaluation as part of the petition. A three-year bachelor's degree from Australia, Canada, or the UK is generally accepted as equivalent when combined with relevant experience.
Can a small nonprofit residential program realistically sponsor a visa?
Yes, though the process is more demanding for small employers. They must file a Labor Condition Application with DOL, pay at least the prevailing wage for your location, and cover mandatory USCIS filing fees. Small nonprofits with under 25 full-time employees qualify for a reduced I-129 filing fee. Some lack in-house HR capable of managing this, so expect to work with an external immigration attorney on the employer's behalf.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Residential Counselor 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.