Does Raytheon (RTX) Sponsor H-1B Visas? ITAR, Clearance Rules and the Commercial Exceptions

Every Raytheon posting we read required US citizenship, yet a handful of Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney roles say RTX will offer immigration sponsorship.

Part of our guide to companies that sponsor H-1B visas.

Does Raytheon sponsor H-1B? For the US Raytheon jobs we read, no: all 102 postings that named only Raytheon required US citizenship, most for a security clearance. RTX as a whole is not a flat no. Of 356 US postings we read on RTX's job board on 2026-11-01, 301 required citizenship, 35 required a "U.S. person" (a citizen or national, green card holder, refugee or asylee), 14 ruled out sponsorship, and 6 said "The company will offer immigration sponsorship for this position, if needed." None of those six named Raytheon.

Status (as of 2026-11-01). In effect: the export-control "U.S. person" definition (22 CFR 120.62), the contractor rule on non-citizens and classified work (32 CFR 117.10) and wage-weighted H-1B selection (since 2026-02-27). Not announced: FY2028 H-1B registration (USCIS must give 30 days' notice). In effect, challenged: SEVP's CPT guidance (hearing 2026-11-06).

Does Raytheon sponsor H-1B? The short answer

In our November 2026 sample, Raytheon, RTX's defense business, offered no sponsorship: all 102 US postings that named only Raytheon required US citizenship, and 84 listed a security clearance. RTX's other businesses vary posting by posting. Six RTX postings offered sponsorship, five of them at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sites, and USCIS records FY2024 H-1B approvals for a Cedar Rapids Collins entity.

RTX is a parent of three businesses: Collins Aerospace (aerospace and defense systems), Pratt & Whitney (aircraft engines) and Raytheon, which RTX's careers site calls "a leading provider of defense solutions." Each posting states its own requirement, and that line, not the brand, is the answer that counts.

What RTX's job postings actually say (read 2026-11-01)

Every US posting we read carries a labelled line, "U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements," followed by one of six standard sentences; 350 of the 356 also list "Security Clearance Type" and "Security Clearance Status." We ran eight searches on RTX's job board (its Workday gateway) for 2027 internships and co-ops, each business, software, data science and entry-level engineering. That returned 456 postings, 356 in the US, posted 2026-04-27 to 2026-11-01: a convenience sample tilted toward students and engineers, not a census.

What the status line said in 356 US RTX postings (read 2026-11-01; as of 2026-11)

Citizenship does not always come from a clearance. Of the 151 program, contract and systems-access postings, 149 listed no clearance, yet still required citizenship. Federal law allows that: 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(2)(C) exempts from the citizenship-discrimination ban a requirement "required by Federal, State, or local government contract." Of the 150 clearance postings, 80 wanted an active, transferable clearance before the start date and 70 the ability to obtain one.

How the answer differs by RTX business

We grouped postings by the one business their text named; postings naming more than one, or none, are in the last row.

Status lines by business named in the posting (356 US postings, read 2026-11-01; as of 2026-11)

A Raytheon Summer 2027 software engineering intern posting in Aurora, Colorado (posted 2026-10-22), for example, lists a TS/SCI clearance.

Common misconception, then correction. "Job sites tag RTX 'No H1B Sponsorship,' so no RTX job sponsors." On a Simplify listing for a Summer 2027 Software Engineer Intern in Marlborough, Massachusetts, "No H1B Sponsorship" is the site's tag; RTX's own text cites the clearance instead. Simplify's RTX company page says "Company Does Not Provide H1B Sponsorship," which RTX's six sponsorship postings and USCIS's FY2024 Collins approvals contradict. Read the employer's line, not the aggregator's label.

Why most RTX roles are closed to F-1, OPT and H-1B candidates

Three legal gates sit behind those sentences. Our guide to the government contractor citizenship barrier covers them across the industry; here is how they show up at RTX.

Clearance roles

32 CFR 117.10(k) says: "Contractors must make every effort to ensure that non-U.S. citizens are not employed in duties that may require access to classified information." The exception, a Limited Access Authorization, is for "rare circumstances" where a non-citizen's expertise "is urgently needed" and "a cleared or clearable U.S. citizen is not readily available," and it is never valid for Top Secret information. A green card holder is still a non-citizen under this rule. Our Lockheed Martin guide walks through the same clearance fields at another defense prime.

Program, contract and systems roles

These require citizenship because the customer contract or the computer systems do, even with no clearance. No visa status, green card, CPT plan or interview answer changes that.

U.S. person roles (export control)

Under 22 CFR 120.62, a U.S. person is "a lawful permanent resident as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)" or "a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)." RTX's postings spell it out: "U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status in the U.S. are considered U.S. persons." F-1 students (including on CPT, OPT and STEM OPT) and H-1B workers are not.

The H-1B petition builds this in. The Form I-129 instructions (edition 09/09/26, the only edition USCIS accepts from 2026-11-09) say releasing controlled technology or technical data to a foreign person in the US, "even by an employer," is "deemed to be an export," so a company "must seek and receive a license from the U.S. Government" before releasing it to H-1B workers. All six RTX sponsorship postings add "The company will not seek an export authorization for this role," so expect those jobs to sit away from licensed data (our reading). Our explainer on answering "Are you a U.S. person?" covers that application question.

Do Pratt & Whitney or Collins Aerospace sponsor H-1B?

Sometimes, by their own documents, but "commercial aerospace" does not mean open: Pratt & Whitney postings required citizenship in 50 of 56 cases.

Collins Aerospace. Three Collins-named postings offered sponsorship "if needed": a Senior Displays Design Electrical Engineer, a Senior Platform Software Engineer (embedded systems) and a Senior Software Engineer (tooling and verification), all in Cedar Rapids and posted 2026-10-29 or 2026-10-30. Two Cedar Rapids systems engineering co-ops for 2027 offered it without naming a business. Location alone does not decide it: of 70 Cedar Rapids postings, 5 offered sponsorship, 5 co-ops ruled it out, 16 asked for a U.S. person and 44 required citizenship.

USCIS data back this up. The H-1B Employer Data Hub lists petitioners by legal name (how it names employers). In FY2024, the latest full year in the extract F1Jobs uses, ROCKWELL COLLINS INC D B A COLLINS in Cedar Rapids received 15 initial-employment and 130 continuing-employment approvals, plus one denial of each kind. A second listing, ROCKWELL COLLINS INC D B A COLLINS AEROSPACE, had 1 initial and 2 continuing approvals that year; Collins filings move between the two names across years, so search both (Collins, Collins Aerospace). The Hub's glossary counts a switch into H-1B from another status, such as F-1, as new employment; continuing approvals cover extensions, amendments and changes of employer. For a new graduate, the 15 initial approvals are the closer figure (our reading).

Pratt & Whitney. One posting offered sponsorship: a Total Productive Maintenance Manager at the "Pratt & Whitney Columbus Forge Module Center" in Midland, Georgia, posted 2026-10-29. Four of the five East Hartford, Connecticut, internships in our sample, including an F135 Engine Core Upgrade propulsion intern, required citizenship under the program or contract; the fifth ruled out sponsorship. Neither Pratt & Whitney nor Raytheon appears among the 1,024 employers with 100 or more Hub decisions across FY2024 to FY2026 in our extract. That is not proof of zero; our Data Hub guide shows how to search legal-entity names yourself.

For aerospace work without the citizenship wall, see our guides to non-ITAR roles at defense and aerospace tech companies and aerospace jobs for international students. Engineering demand is strong overall: Indeed Hiring Lab's October 2026 snapshot (2026-10-22) put engineering postings near 145 on its index, against about 78-79 for software development, the lowest of five sectors charted. That index measures all postings, not sponsorship.

Do RTX internships require US citizenship?

Mostly, yes. Of the 109 US internship and co-op postings in our sample, 76 (70%) required citizenship, 23 (21%) required a U.S. person, 8 (7%) said the company will not offer immigration sponsorship, and 2 (2%) said it will offer sponsorship if needed.

Read the "will not offer" sentence closely: you "Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the company's immigration sponsorship now or in the future." CPT or OPT may cover you now, but if you will need an H-1B later, "in the future" appears to exclude you (our reading). Ask the recruiter in writing before you invest in the process.

A co-op on F-1 is usually CPT, which your school authorizes, not RTX. SEVP's CPT guidance (BCM 2608-01 and 2608-02) is in effect but challenged as of 2026-11-01: BCM 2608-01 allows CPT only "if its absence would make the attainment of a degree an impossibility." The preliminary-injunction hearing in AAU v. DHS is 2026-11-06 at 3:00 p.m. (docket). Your DSO decides whether a co-op qualifies.

Can a green card holder work at Raytheon?

Only in roles that do not require US citizenship, and we found no Raytheon posting like that: all 102 required citizenship. Across RTX, 55 postings in our sample were open to permanent residents: the 35 U.S. person roles, the 14 "without sponsorship" roles and the 6 sponsorship roles (our reading of the status lines). A pending I-485, an adjustment-based EAD or an approved I-140 does not make you a U.S. person; the definitions list granted statuses, not pending applications (our reading). Clearance roles stay closed even with a green card, because a permanent resident is still a non-citizen under 32 CFR 117.10(k).

Worked example: one Cedar Rapids co-op, dated

Say you are an F-1 master's student in electrical engineering and you find the Cedar Rapids "Systems Engineer - Summer/Fall Co-op 2027 - (Onsite)" posting. Almost every posting we read (350 of 356) says RTX "anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted," though it may shorten or extend that.

Worked timeline for one RTX co-op posting (as of 2026-11)

The sponsorship sentence is a reason to apply, not a promise of an H-1B: a cap-subject petition still depends on registration and selection. STEM OPT requires an E-Verify employer; RTX's careers site links an "E-Verify Participation" notice, but confirm the hiring entity. The unemployment limits come from the SEVIS Help Hub.

How to screen an RTX posting in five minutes

1. Find the posting's "U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements" line.
2. Read "Security Clearance Type." Anything but "None/Not Required" effectively closes the role to non-citizens.
3. Match the sentence to the first table above. Only "will offer immigration sponsorship" is a clear yes for F-1, OPT and H-1B candidates.
4. Note the business and site named; answers differ even within one site.
5. Search the employer's legal name in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and treat third-party counts as unverified.
6. Ask the recruiter in writing whether the role would support STEM OPT and an H-1B petition, and whether it involves export-controlled data.
7. Check any CPT or OPT plan with your DSO before accepting, and take H-1B timing questions to an immigration attorney.

Common mistakes

• Trusting an aggregator's tag. "No H1B Sponsorship" on a job site is the site's label; RTX's status line is the employer's own statement.
• Treating RTX as one employer. Raytheon, Collins and Pratt & Whitney postings answered differently, and the Hub lists legal entities, not brands.
• Assuming commercial means open. Pratt & Whitney postings required citizenship 89% of the time in our sample, often with no clearance.
• Reading "now or in the future" as fine because you have OPT. If you will need an H-1B, ask first.
• Treating "will offer sponsorship" as a guarantee. It does not change H-1B selection or adjudication.
• Counting a pending green card as U.S. person status. Only a granted status (permanent residence, refugee or asylee) counts under 22 CFR 120.62 (our reading).

Frequently asked questions

Does RTX sponsor H-1B for any roles?

Yes, but rarely. Of 356 US RTX postings we read on 2026-11-01, six said the company will offer immigration sponsorship if needed, five at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sites and none naming Raytheon. The USCIS Data Hub also shows FY2024 H-1B approvals for a Cedar Rapids Collins entity (15 initial, 130 continuing).

Does Raytheon hire international students?

Not into US roles on F-1, judging by its postings. All 102 US postings in our 2026-11-01 sample that named only Raytheon required US citizenship, and 84 listed a security clearance. Clearance and contract rules keep non-citizens out of those roles, so CPT, OPT and STEM OPT do not open them.

Do RTX internships require US citizenship?

Most do. Of 109 US internship and co-op postings we read on 2026-11-01, 76 required US citizenship and 23 required a U.S. person (a citizen or national, green card holder, refugee or asylee). Eight ruled out sponsorship, and two Cedar Rapids co-ops offered it if needed.

Do Pratt & Whitney or Collins Aerospace sponsor H-1B?

Some Collins roles do; Pratt & Whitney rarely. In our 2026-11-01 sample, three Collins-named postings and one Pratt & Whitney-named posting offered immigration sponsorship if needed, and the USCIS Data Hub lists FY2024 H-1B approvals for Rockwell Collins entities. We found no blanket policy for either, so read each posting's status line.

Can a green card holder work at Raytheon?

Only where a posting does not require US citizenship, and none of the 102 Raytheon-named postings we read on 2026-11-01 qualified; all required citizenship. Elsewhere at RTX, U.S. person roles are open to green card holders, since a lawful permanent resident is a U.S. person under 22 CFR 120.62. In our reading, a pending I-485 or an approved I-140 does not count.

Sources

• RTX, careers site and job board (356 US postings read 2026-11-01)
• USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding the Data Hub
• USCIS, Form I-129 and I-129 instructions (edition 09/09/26)
• USCIS, H-1B electronic registration and STEM OPT extension
• Federal Register, weighted selection final rule
• Cornell LII, 22 CFR 120.62, 32 CFR 117.10 and 8 U.S.C. 1324b
• DHS SEVIS Help Hub, unemployment counter
• CourtListener, AAU v. DHS docket
• Simplify, RTX company page and one RTX internship listing (quoted only to show the aggregator's label)
• Indeed Hiring Lab, US labor market snapshot, October 2026

How we checked this: we read 356 US postings on RTX's public job board on 2026-11-01, the USCIS Data Hub extract F1Jobs uses (FY2024 values only) and the Hub's glossary, the 09/09/26 I-129 instructions, and the regulations, statute and court docket linked above (status as of 2026-11-01).

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-20, I-94 and notices govern over anything published here; ask your DSO about F-1, CPT and OPT, and a licensed immigration attorney about petitions and status strategy.

If you are on F-1, OPT or STEM OPT and want help aiming your search at roles that can actually hire you, F1Jobs works with international candidates on exactly that.