Permanent Resident (PR) is the right to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely. Often people refer to this benefit as having a "green card."
It is possible, at present, to become a permanent resident of the U.S. in numerous ways, including
All permanent resident applications filed by Stanford University must be processed by Bechtel International Center. Hiring departments may not prepare or sign immigration documents or applications for Labor Certification related to permanent resident petitions. Outside attorneys may not prepare or file applications or petitions on behalf of Stanford University unless previously approved by the Stanford University Office of the General Counsel. Read the General Counsel’s policy on this matter.
U.S. immigration laws do not permit Stanford to sponsor students, postdocs, part-time or temporary employees, or those with a fixed-term appointment for permanent residence. The law does describe opportunities, however, for self-sponsorship; please send an inquiry to internationalscholars@stanford.edu, and we will send you information about these sections of the law.
The university’s policies regarding the sponsorship of permanent residence petitions includes the following sponsorship scenarios (all appointments must be tenure-line, continuing or explicitly indefinitely renewable):
Departments that are interested in initiating a permanent residence inquiry may complete a web form indicating a specific proposal for sponsorship of a qualifying employee. Bechtel will perform an analysis of the information provided, and respond with an explanation of relevant options for the department to choose among, allowing flexibility in the commitment of resources, depending upon factors such as programmatic need, convergence of interest, fiscal investment and other areas of discretion.
The permanent residence application process can take from eight months to more than three years to complete.
Departments seeking sponsorship of faculty should note that labor certification is based on a recent search. The results of a faculty search will "go stale" after about one year, so departments with newly recruited faculty should act promptly to work with Bechtel. There is no need to wait for a faculty member to arrive in the US, or at Stanford. A delay for any reason, including a postponed appointment, imperil the success of the process.
Note: During the entire PR process, up until the employee is able to actually apply for the green card, he or she must maintain an appropriate non-immigrant visa status (e.g., H-1B, J-1, O-1), and request all necessary extensions of stay while within the US. If an employee is uncertain about when his or her non-immigrant visa expires, s/he should contact the appropriate department representative, or Bechtel at internationalscholars@stanford.edu
There are either two or three general stages to obtaining Permanent Residency based on employment:
Bechtel’s role is confined to the first two stages. The third stage (Adjustment of Status) must be initiated by the individual. University policy views the Adjustment of Status as a personal process since it often involves family members, requires discussion of private information such as criminal convictions and violations of status, and may involve complex questions regarding timing and travel and re-entry. This policy tends to be standard at U.S. Research institutions.
Search for an immigration attorney.