Working as a NE in the States as a Canadian

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SUMMARY

Canadian Engineering Physics students, particularly those specializing in nuclear engineering, face specific challenges when seeking employment in the United States. Many job postings require U.S. citizenship and security clearance, especially for positions related to the Department of Energy (DoE) or Navy. However, opportunities exist for non-citizens with green cards or relevant visas, particularly in commercial power jobs that focus on background checks rather than national security. In contrast, working in France may be more challenging without a local degree or significant experience.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of U.S. employment visa categories, particularly for engineering roles
  • Familiarity with security clearance requirements for nuclear engineering positions
  • Knowledge of the Canadian and U.S. immigration processes for professionals
  • Awareness of international job market dynamics in the engineering sector
NEXT STEPS
  • Research U.S. employment visa options for Canadian engineering graduates
  • Investigate the process for obtaining U.S. security clearance for nuclear engineering jobs
  • Explore job opportunities in France for Canadian engineers, focusing on local degree requirements
  • Learn about the pathways to U.S. citizenship for Canadian professionals in technical fields
USEFUL FOR

Canadian engineering students, nuclear engineering professionals, and individuals exploring international job opportunities in the engineering sector.

Schr0d1ng3r
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I am an Engineering Physics (specifically nuclear) student at McMaster University. I was poking around at some postings in the industry and I noticed that a lot of the American job postings say that you need to be a US citizen and have security clearance. What I'm wondering is, does this apply to all NE jobs in the US? Is it not possible to work on a visa or doing contract work as a non-citizen? Does this apply to other countries such as, say, France? Also, how difficult would it be to obtain US citizenship as a Canadian with a NE degree? I don't NEED to work in the US, I'm just trying to get a feel for what my options are. Thanks in advance for any replies!
 
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as far as I know, the only jobs requiring a security clearance are DoE or Navy jobs. Commercial power jobs (at the plants) require a background check. They're looking for mental stability, not national security. They want to be sure you won't start pushing buttons or turning valves.

There's plenty of people in the industry in the US with green cards (ie, not US citizens).
 
From what I've seen, Westinghouse won't consider if you don't already have a residence permit or student visa etc. Many others seem similar.

I'm an ontarian working in France, and basically you're not going to have any luck here if you have't done a degree from here (which I did after Queen's Eng Phys), (unless if you have tons of experience that they need or some other means (like Brits working for EDF energy being posted to France)).

The visa isn't really an issue an here, especially in such specific technical field.
 

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