Green Card Application Process
With minimal exceptions, all EB-2 and EB-3 permit applications need that the employer obtain a Labor Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. For petitions needing this action, the Labor Certification process is frequently the hardest and most strenuous step. Prior to being able to submit the Labor Certification application, the company must get a prevailing wage from the Department of Labor and show that there are no minimally qualified U.S. workers readily available for the positions through the conclusion of a competitive recruitment procedure.
In the case of positions which contain mentor duties, the employer needs to record that the picked candidate is the "best qualified" for the position. This process is typically called "Special Handling."
In both the "standard" and the "unique handling" procedure, the company needs to complete a formal recruitment procedure to record that there are no minimally certified U.S. employees offered or that, when it comes to positions that have a teaching component, that the chosen prospect is the very best certified. It is typical that this recruitment process need to be completed well after the foreign national employee began their position at the University.
As quickly as the Labor Certification has actually been filed with the Department of Labor, the "concern date" for the applicant is established. This date is important to determine when somebody can complete step # 3, i.e. the Adjustment of Status. (If no Labor Certification is required, the priority date is developed with the filing of the Immigrant Petition/ Form I-140.
2. Immigrant Petition
Once the Department of Labor authorizes the Labor Certification, the Immigrant Petition (Form I-140) can be filed with USCIS. In cases where no Labor Certification is needed (e.g. EB-1), the filing of the I-140 is the primary step of the permit procedure.
3. Adjustment of Status or Obtaining an Immigrant Visa
Once the I-140 application has been approved by USCIS, the foreign national can request the adjustment of their non-immigrant status (Form I-485) to that of a legal long-term citizen. Instead of applying for raovatonline.org the Adjustment of Status, a foreign national may likewise look for an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad.
The I-485 Adjustment of Status application can not be filed till and unless the "top priority date" is current. In practice this implies that, depending upon one's country of birth and EB-category, there may be a backlog. The backlog exists because more people make an application for green cards in a provided category than there are readily available permit visa numbers. The total number of green cards is additional limited by the reality that, with some exceptions, no greater than 7 percent of all green cards in a given choice classification can go to individuals born in an offered nation. The stockpile is upgraded monthly by the U.S. Department of State and is released in the Visa Bulletin.
Once somebody's concern date date has actually been reached, as indicated in the Visa Bulletin, the I-485 can be submitted. The priority date is the date on which the Labor Certification was filed with the Department of Labor, or, if no Labor Certification was required, USCIS got the I-140 petition.
Note that the Visa Bulletin consists of 2 different tables with concern cut-off dates. The real cut-off dates are shown in table A "Application Final Action Dates for Employment-based Preference Cases." However, in some circumstances, USCIS might accept the I-485 application if the concern date is present based on table B "Dates for Filing of Employment-based Visa Applications." Note that USCIS will make a decision whether Table B might be used a number of days after the official Visa Bulletin is . USCIS publishes this details on its site devoted to the Visa Bulletin.
Sometimes, it may be possible to submit the I-140 and I-485 at the very same time. This is not always suggested, even if it is possible. If the I-140 is denied, the I-485 will also be denied if filed concurrently.