How to Get an Employer-Sponsored Green Card

If you are wondering how to get a green card to live and work legally in the United States, there are several methods. To achieve permanent resident status, immigrants must have some kind of sponsorship, whether through a family member or via employment. The process to get employer-sponsored green cards has many phases, but it could be well worth it when the application for permanent resident status is approved.

What is the process?
An immigrant is able to get a green card if there is an employer willing to sponsor him. A business can petition to sponsor an immigrant to work in the US by filling out a form that corresponds to the level of work and education the immigrant will be doing. This form will be filed with the USCIS service center, and processed from there. Before starting the process, the company and the immigrant should first check to see that he meets the qualifications and eligibility requirements for a green card. This includes proof of the country of origin and documentation of education or skilled employment outside of the US.

Once the eligibility requirements are deemed met, the applicant must fill out a form that notifies the Department of Labor that a company is willing to sponsor the applicant. Once the labor certification request has been granted, the applicant must fill out more forms to request an immigrant visa. The US State Department awards immigrant visas, whether the applicant is abroad or within US borders.

Who can be approved?
Some of the most likely sponsorships that will be approved by the State Department are for immigrants who are excel in science, business or athletics. Some examples of visas likely to be approved are for those with advanced degrees, qualified physicians and skilled workers with at least two years of experience.

Eligible workers are classed into four categories:

1. EB-1 workers are those with extraordinary ability in an area. They can include professors, researchers or writers.
2. EB-2 workers will have advanced degrees, either from the US or foreign schools and include physicians.
3. EB-3 workers are skilled workers with a proven two years of experience in their chosen field. They may or may not have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree, but their experience is considered specialized.
4. EB-4 workers are considered unskilled, in that they are not specially trained for a specific line of work.