Employment based Green Card
One of the best ways to gain permanent residency in the United States is by obtaining a ‘green card’ through one of the many employment-based (EB) immigration options. The EB immigration process is perhaps the most widely used methods to obtain a green card and be able to move to the United States. There are many reasons why this is such an attractive option for individuals wanting to start a life in the United States, namely because it provides foreign nationals with an opportunity to work in the U.S.
There are numerous EB categories, all of which have different eligibility requirements. We encourage you to look through the categories and then give the immigration attorneys at Duke Seth a call. We want to help you find the opportunity you are looking for in the United States, which very well may be through obtaining an EB green card.
The EB green card process is usually completed in three different stages:
- Stage 1: PERM: Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) is the system used to process labor certifications, which is the first step certain foreign nationals must take in order to obtain an EB-2 or EB-3 visa immigrant visa. The foreign national's prospective employer or agent must first obtain a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor. This is often referred to as the PERM labor certification process. Before a U.S. employer can file an immigration petition for a foreign worker for most positions covered under EB-2 and EB-3 visas, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) must approve a labor certification.
- Stage 2: Once the labor certification is approved, the employer must file an Immigration Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140) with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services
- Stage 3: The final stage requires the foreign national to either apply for a consular processing for an immigrant visa or an application for adjustment of status to permanent
The order in which each stage is completed is important to the entire green card process. While there are a series of specific requirements that will depend on each person’s individual case, most applicants are sponsored by someone else. In addition to this, those who are eligible to apply for a green card will need to determine which process to use: adjustment of status or consular processing.
To learn more about the EB green card process in the United States, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Duke Seth by calling (214) 965-8100.
