I'm an immigrant from Brazil and I'm evaluating my civil engineering degree and starting from scratch.
I did internship in civil engineering during the entire period of college and worked another year after graduating, which totaled 6 years of experience. I would like to know how the job market is like for immigrants in the field of civil engineering in the US and what advice would you give to someone who is starting over and improving in this area?

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You will have some additional difficulty finding a position since your degree will be a relative unknown to employers. You may also require visa sponsorship, which can be a nonstarter for smaller firms. It will vary based on sector.

- Your internship will not factor into your years of experience - typically only full time experience is considered.
- You probably won't be able to get any position higher than entry-level - not necessarily the end of the world.
- You should pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE Exam), administered by NCEES, as soon as you possibly can. It is a standardized exam with basic civil engineering concepts - most firms that do work requiring professional licensure (stamping) will require you to pass this exam within 6 months of hire or even as a prerequisite for consideration. It will also help bridge the relative unfamiliarity employers will have with your degree.
- Identify the state(s) that you would like to work in and contact the board of professional engineers in that state to see what they think of your degree. They will not necessarily help you find employment, but you may be able to get them to review your transcript to see if you'd be eligible for professional licensure once you have your required experience. If you would not be eligible, you'd most likely need to earn a degree in the US to become a professional engineer.
- I know this isn't especially helpful, but consider getting a master's degree in the US. That erases the concerns with your degree. It may also open some doors for you - structural engineering position for example don't really hire people without a master's degree. Most people I know who immigrated to the US did so by earning a master's degree here and using the connections to find a job and immigrate.
- Larger firms will be more amenable to sponsoring your immigration. International firms most likely.

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