- International Student Responsibilities
- International Student Job Search Session
- OPT Sessions for Fall 2008 Graduates
- CIP Codes and OPT extension to 29 months for STEM students
- OPT Regulation Changes Effective 4/8/2008
- H-1B Cap Update
- 29 month OPT - final interim rule PENDING
- Continuing Students: Fall Registration Week
- Are you graduating in May?
- Curricular Practical Training
- Spring Break Travel Advice
- Tax Filing Info for Foreign Students
- Tax Filing Info for Foreign J Scholars
- Non-Resident Tax Services at Carnegie Mellon
- H1B Cap Update for Fiscal Year 09
- OPT Sessions for Spring Graduates
Announcements
Office of International Education
Permanent Residents to the US
OIE's handout on US Legal Permanent Residence
Permanent residents to the US are also referred to as “green card” holders, immigrants, lawful permanent residents, and resident aliens. These individuals typically plan to remain in the US on a long-term and/or permanent basis. A person may apply to be a permanent resident to the US based on one of three criteria: (1) family, (2) employment, or (3) public or humanitarian policy. At Carnegie Mellon, most people will apply to become a permanent resident of the US based on “employment.”
If and when an individual applies for permanent residency based on employment, in most cases the department/employer will be involved in the process no matter if the department or the individual is making the primary contacts with the attorney. Either way, the department/employer will “sponsor” the application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and will be involved in approving the attorney to handle the case, signing off on key forms and documents, confirming employment conditions, providing letters of recommendation, etc. In most cases, the department head is the appropriate person to write and/or sign these official documents. In some cases, the department will pay for the attorney costs; in some cases, the individual will pay for the attorney fees. This is a departmental decision.
All departments who are involved in any way with supporting an employee to become a permanent resident using PERM (previously called Labor Certification) must refer to and follow the OIE handout “Procedures for Hiring Attorneys to Process Employment Applications.” These procedures allow for some control over the quality of the attorneys who are handling applications on behalf of the university and permit OIE to track the permanent residency applications filed at the institution.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers a wealth of information on permanent residency on the website at www.uscis.gov and click on "Permanent Residence (Green Card). .