Global Education Office

Permanent Residence (PR) is an immigration status that allows a foreign national to live and work in the U.S. permanently.

 

The main PR status document is a PR Card. The card is primarily green in color, leading to the popular terms "green card" for the PR Card and "green card holder" for the individual with PR status.

 

Subject to conditions, VCU can support an employee's green card application. The conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The employee must have a VCU offer of full-time, permanent employment. In this context, permanent employment means indefinite employment.
• The application must be processed administratively at VCU through the Immigration Services unit of the Global Education Office (GEO).
• The application must be prepared by a law firm under contract with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• The application must be filed in one of USCIS' employment-based (EB) categories.

Individuals in hourly; part-time; temporary; postdoctoral; or student (including graduate assistant) roles are not eligible for VCU green card support.

Other conditions apply.

Decisions about supporting an employee's PR application are made on a case-by-case basis by leadership in the employee's department that take into account a number of business and strategic factors.

Possible forms of support include legal sponsorship, for EB categories that require employer sponsorship, and limited funds from the employee's department to cover some of the green card application costs.

Actual forms of support vary by EB category and case.

If the department decides to support the employee's PR application, GEO will work with University Counsel to engage an OAG contracted law firm to consult with them further (if needed) and to prepare the application for filing with USCIS.

There is no single, default EB category suitable for every employee.    

Government eligibility criteria, processing steps, and processing timelines vary by EB category, as do costs and legal options for the employee to pay some or, in some cases, all of the costs.

If your department is considering supporting an employee's PR application, the department's senior Human Resources (HR) manager should contact GEO Immigration Services by email for more information and guidance before making a final decision. (GEOIS@vcu.edu, Subject Line: Green Card Support)