Survey Crew Chief Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Survey Crew Chief jobs involve leading field teams on land boundary, construction staking, and topographic surveys. Employers in infrastructure, engineering, and utilities sectors have sponsored H-2B visa and H-1B visas for this role, depending on project duration and your degree background. Expect employers to file a prevailing wage determination with DOL before any petition moves forward.
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Get Access To All JobsWHO IS HILLIS-CARNES?
Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates (HCEA) is a multi-disciplined ENR Top 500 engineering firm with 20 offices in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. We have demonstrated a history of success for the past 35 years. We are 100% employee-owned ESOP, and our history of success can be attributed to our motivational employee owners. We believe in fostering teamwork, rewarding ambition, and providing opportunities for professional advancement.
At HCEA, we can contribute our continuing success to multiple facets, but above all we are successful because of our knowledgeable, ambitious, and reliable employees who make every day count.
Survey Party Crew Chief
Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates, Inc. (HCEA) is seeking multiple Land Surveying Field Crew staff positions, including a Party Chief and Instrument Operator, to join our Surveying, Monitoring, and Instrumentation Group in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Candidates must be competent in setting up survey control and performing data collection of monitoring points in support of excavation and adjacent construction as well as performing construction stakeout and data collection surveys. The field crew works on projects primarily located in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Qualifications
- Candidate must be able to operate Robotic Total Stations, Field Data Collectors, Digital Levels, and GPS units.
- Experience with Leica field equipment, Leica and Carlson field data collectors preferred.
- Competent in Coordinate Geometry and Excel Spreadsheets.
- Experience with Leica Captivate and Infinity software and AutoCAD with Carlson Survey office software is a plus.
- Calibrate and care for tribrachs, prism rods, total stations, and all field equipment.
- Able to work independently, solve problems, be organized, and accountable.
- Must have excellent oral communication skills, able to communicate via email, and organize Survey data on the company server.
- Must have excellent work habits and attendance.
- Candidates must be able to carry 50 lbs over 800 ft of uneven terrain and work outdoors in extreme weather conditions.
- 1-year experience working on a survey field crew is preferred.
- Two or four-year surveying degree is preferred; CST or LSIT certification a plus.
BENEFITS:
We are proudly an Equal Opportunity Employer and offer an appealing benefit package. A few of these perks include: 100% Employer-Paid Benefits (Long-Term Disability, Basic Life & Employee Assistance Program), Health (W/ Health Savings Account Option), Disability, 401k w/ Company Match, Generous Compensation for Employee-Referrals, Tuition Reimbursement and many more!
Need another reason to join in on the success? We offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in which employees are given shares in the company and the more successful the company is, the more valuable the shares become.
Want to grow with us? Apply Now!
Minorities and Women are encouraged to apply.
EOE
WHO IS HILLIS-CARNES?
Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates (HCEA) is a multi-disciplined ENR Top 500 engineering firm with 20 offices in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. We have demonstrated a history of success for the past 35 years. We are 100% employee-owned ESOP, and our history of success can be attributed to our motivational employee owners. We believe in fostering teamwork, rewarding ambition, and providing opportunities for professional advancement.
At HCEA, we can contribute our continuing success to multiple facets, but above all we are successful because of our knowledgeable, ambitious, and reliable employees who make every day count.
Survey Party Crew Chief
Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates, Inc. (HCEA) is seeking multiple Land Surveying Field Crew staff positions, including a Party Chief and Instrument Operator, to join our Surveying, Monitoring, and Instrumentation Group in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Candidates must be competent in setting up survey control and performing data collection of monitoring points in support of excavation and adjacent construction as well as performing construction stakeout and data collection surveys. The field crew works on projects primarily located in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Qualifications
- Candidate must be able to operate Robotic Total Stations, Field Data Collectors, Digital Levels, and GPS units.
- Experience with Leica field equipment, Leica and Carlson field data collectors preferred.
- Competent in Coordinate Geometry and Excel Spreadsheets.
- Experience with Leica Captivate and Infinity software and AutoCAD with Carlson Survey office software is a plus.
- Calibrate and care for tribrachs, prism rods, total stations, and all field equipment.
- Able to work independently, solve problems, be organized, and accountable.
- Must have excellent oral communication skills, able to communicate via email, and organize Survey data on the company server.
- Must have excellent work habits and attendance.
- Candidates must be able to carry 50 lbs over 800 ft of uneven terrain and work outdoors in extreme weather conditions.
- 1-year experience working on a survey field crew is preferred.
- Two or four-year surveying degree is preferred; CST or LSIT certification a plus.
BENEFITS:
We are proudly an Equal Opportunity Employer and offer an appealing benefit package. A few of these perks include: 100% Employer-Paid Benefits (Long-Term Disability, Basic Life & Employee Assistance Program), Health (W/ Health Savings Account Option), Disability, 401k w/ Company Match, Generous Compensation for Employee-Referrals, Tuition Reimbursement and many more!
Need another reason to join in on the success? We offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in which employees are given shares in the company and the more successful the company is, the more valuable the shares become.
Want to grow with us? Apply Now!
Minorities and Women are encouraged to apply.
EOE
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Survey Crew Chief Jobs
Get your credentials evaluated before applying
If you completed a surveying or geomatics program outside the U.S., request a credential evaluation from a NACES-recognized service. Employers filing an H-1B need to confirm your foreign degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's in a directly related field.
Target infrastructure and utility employers specifically
Construction surveying firms tied to federal highway, pipeline, and utility projects file the most sponsorship petitions for crew chief roles. These employers work on multi-year contracts that justify the cost and timeline of an H-2B or H-1B filing.
Search verified sponsor listings on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with confirmed LCA filing history for survey and geospatial roles. This saves time by showing you which companies have already navigated the DOL and USCIS filing process for positions like yours.
Clarify whether the role qualifies as H-1B or H-2B
Survey Crew Chief positions can qualify under H-1B if the employer requires a bachelor's degree in surveying, civil engineering, or geomatics. Without that degree requirement, the role may fit H-2B instead, which covers temporary non-agricultural work but carries a 66,000-slot annual cap.
Ask about prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
DOL assigns prevailing wage levels using O*NET job zones and regional BLS data. For crew chiefs, your wage offer must meet the certified level before USCIS will approve any petition, so confirm the OFLC Wage Search tier your employer is using.
Confirm PERM eligibility if pursuing a green card path
If your employer wants to sponsor you for permanent residence through EB-2 or EB-3, they'll need to run PERM labor certification through DOL first. Survey Crew Chief roles with supervisory duties and two or more years of experience typically support an EB-3 skilled worker filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Survey Crew Chief role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B?
It depends on how the employer structures the position. If the job description requires at least a bachelor's degree in surveying, geomatics, or civil engineering as a minimum entry requirement, USCIS will generally accept it as a specialty occupation. If the posting lists the degree as preferred rather than required, or accepts equivalent experience in place of a degree, the H-1B petition is harder to sustain and an RFE is likely.
Which visa types are realistic for Survey Crew Chief sponsorship?
H-1B applies when the employer requires a qualifying bachelor's degree. H-2B is an option for temporary or seasonal survey projects where the employer can demonstrate the need is not permanent. TN visa is not available for Survey Crew Chief because the role is not on the USMCA profession list. For long-term employment, EB-3 green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification is the most common permanent route.
How do I find employers who have sponsored Survey Crew Chief roles before?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA and sponsorship filing history for survey and geospatial roles, searchable by location and job type. This is the fastest way to identify companies that have already committed to sponsoring positions like yours rather than approaching firms with no prior filing track record.
Do I need a Professional Land Surveyor license for visa sponsorship?
A PLS license is a state-issued credential and USCIS does not require it as a standalone condition for H-1B approval. However, many employers in boundary and cadastral surveying list it as a requirement in the job description. If the employer requires PLS licensure, that bolsters the specialty occupation argument because it demonstrates that the role demands specialized knowledge beyond a generalist background.
What happens to my status if the construction project ends early?
If your H-1B employer terminates your position before your authorized period ends, you have a grace period of up to 60 days to find new employment, transfer to a new H-1B sponsor, or change status. For H-2B holders, the grace period is 10 days after the authorized end date. Document your last day of employment and act quickly, since the grace period does not reset or extend for project delays.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Survey Crew Chief 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.