THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF ENGINEERS IN THE USA
THE COUNTRY NEEDS ENGINEERS FROM VARIOUS AREAS … AND YOU CAN HELP!
WHAT EXPLAINS THE LACK OF ENGINEERS IN AMERICA?
There’s a shortage of engineers in the United States. The U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics (BLS) ranks this profession as the second most needy in the country today, second only to health professionals.
Even with the population’s population increasing over the past 20 years, the number of people who graduated in engineering has been falling sharply in the U.S. In the early 2000s, the annual average of new graduates in the country was 116,658. However, at the end of the current decade, this average is around 86,092 graduates annually, according to figures released by ASEE – American Society for Engineering Education in 2018.
Who helps explain the reasons that lead to this shortage of engineers is the Investment Consultant and CEO of AG Immigration – Rodrigo Costa: “For a large part of the American population the main obstacle for those who want to be an engineer are the high costs for academic training. Paying for an engineering college is costly even for upper-middle-class people in the U.S., who in most cases will need a loan to fund tuition or a scholarship.”
Another factor that helps explain this situation is that in the last 2 decades, U.S. economic growth and globalization have enabled the creation of such a large number of companies and startups in America that there are simply more vacancies available than people qualified to occupy them. A rare situation curiously generated by the prosperity of the country itself.
And to prevent this scenario from becoming even worse, the country seeks help from foreign talent.
THE U.S. NEEDS FOREIGN ENGINEERS
The labor market of the largest economic potency on the planet offers several opportunities. Especially for those with proven experience and outstanding performance in their areas of expertise. For foreign professionals, this is the chance to acquire the dreamed Green Card, and take a new professional and personal step in the United States.
According to BLS data, in 2018, about 28% of engineers in the U.S. are foreigners, most of them from India and Japan.
In general, the profile of an engineer qualified for a green card is someone with a post-graduation, master’s degree or doctorate. If the professional has between 5 and 10 years of experience in the field, the chances of being hired by an American company increase even more.
Dr. Felipe Alexandre, lawyer and owner of AG Immigration, has seen an increasing increase in foreign clients who hire their services to obtain a green card, but he warns that a large part of the world population of foreign engineers are still unaware that there are legal possibilities for immigration to the U.S.: “Many engineering professionals in the world may be eligible for a Green Card and do not even suspect it.”
Also according to Dr. Felipe: “The EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) visa, for example, confers the right to the Green Card and, consequently, to the status of legal permanent resident without the need to have a job offer, and the candidate may qualify only based on his/her professional and academic background.”
HOW DOES DIPLOMA RECOGNITION AND OBTAINING THE LICENSE TO PRACTICE THE PROFESSION WORK?
As in any other country, to work professionally in the United States as an engineer it is necessary to have a diploma validated by local authorities. Diploma validation requirements vary by state. But, as a rule, the professional will need to attest through documentation that he/she has the knowledge and capacity required for the job.
The first step is to ask for a transcript from the school and the diploma from the educational institutions that the professional has attended in his/her home country. These documents need to be authenticated and translated by a certified translator. In addition, there are educational institutions in the USA that can assist the professional with their process of equivalence or revalidation of a diploma.
Depending on the engineering area in which you work, the professional may also be required to complete additional exams or certification tests.
However, it is worth noting that it is only necessary to obtain an engineer’s license if the professional is working as a responsible or principal technician of an engineering project. If the intention of the foreign engineer is only to be part of a team without any managerial roles, the laws of practice of the profession become much more flexible.
WHAT ARE THE MOST NEEDED AREAS OF ENGINEERING IN THE U.S.?
According to Rodrigo Costa, CEO at AG Immigration, the most valued engineering areas in the U.S. nowadays are: Civil Engineering, Oil and Gas, Production Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Electrical Telecommunications and Networks Engineering.
While there are opportunities for engineers all over the U.S., it is notorious that the best jobs are currently concentrated in Texas, due to the oil and gas industry in that region.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
It is important to note that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. was living one of the most prosperous moments in its history, with the lowest unemployment rate in the last 50 years and a record number of foreign investments in the country. This scenario of prosperity is already beginning to resume, even while the world is still dealing with the threat of the corona virus. The Engineer who decides to begin his immigration process to the United States will now find an extremely desired, well-paid field of work with an increasingly promising scenario for years to come.
Have you identified yourself with the information above and are interested in living and working legally in the U.S.? AG’s Legal Department conducts a free evaluation of your qualifications and green card possibilities. Contact our team and start achieving your American dream today.