Permanent Residence ("Green Card")
Legal permanent residency (LPR) is the right to live and work as a non-US citizen indefinitely and is commonly referred to as having a “green card.”
While there are a variety of circumstances by which individuals can qualify for LPR, at Brandeis, it is most common for Brandeis to file the petition on behalf of a qualified employee through Employee Based (EB) sponsorship.
Individuals may also seek sponsorship independently, without Brandeis sponsorship:
- Through a self-sponsored petition to have your work recognized as in the National Interest as an individual with extraordinary ability or skills.
- Through the petition of a close relative.
- Winning the diversity lottery
- Successful application for political asylum
Sponsorship at Brandeis – Tenure Track Faculty
While tenure-track faculty may begin working at Brandeis on F-1 OPT, J-1 Academic Training, or H-1B immigration status, eventually, most tenure-track faculty who are foreign nationals will need U.S. permanent residency (LPR) status to continue their employment at Brandeis. The provost grants the ISSO permission to begin LPR petitions as soon as individuals are hired as full-time tenure-track faculty and dedicates $6,500 in funding for each tenure-track faculty member who pursues LPR.
Since all tenure track positions are considered permanent (lasting at least 3 years into the future) and employees intend to remain in the position, faculty are eligible for LPR.
The permanent residency process can take anywhere from 8 months to 4 years (or longer) depending on a variety of factors. We encourage all tenure-track faculty to begin this process in the first year after joining Brandeis.
Sponsorship at Brandeis – Staff and Researcher Roles
In limited circumstances, Brandeis staff or researchers may qualify for LPR, but this is at the discretion of the manager. In all cases, the offer of employment connected to employment-based permanent residency must be full-time. As the employer, the sponsoring department is legally obligated to pay legal and government filing fees associated with PERM Labor Certification cases.
Categories of Sponsorship
With employment-based sponsorship at Brandeis, there are three ways to become a Permanent Resident.
- EB-1B Outstanding Researcher or Professor
- EB-2 Special Handling for Faculty
- EB-2 PERM Labor certification (for staff)
Considerations
If you have any questions regarding the policies or procedures outlined above, please feel free to contact Jodi Hanelt, Executive Director of the International Students and Scholars Office, by phone (781-736-3480) or via scholars@brandeis.edu.