yabadabadoo

Hello All,
I am here in US on a H1B VISA, while my wife just completed her PH.D and got an offer for a Post Doc. We intend to apply for our GC soon, so here are the questions, for which I would highly appreciate your replies, since I have no clue whatsoever about GC processing:
1.) I have a completed Master's Degree in Manufacturing Engineering and I discontinued my MBA in the middle as I got a job offer (both from US) and changed my status to H1B VISA, but will complete my MBA in the near future. On what category can I apply for my GC and how long would it take (approximately). I am an Indian citizen.

2.) Can my wife also apply for GC based on her Post Doc? How long would this take to get it processed?

3.) If my wife starts her Post Doc, on what VISA would she be in and who will primarily be filing for her GC meaning her school or herself?

Out of the option 1 and 2 which would expedite the process?

Your replies are highly appreciated.

Thank you!

Elvira

Neither of you can apply until at least one of you has an approved I-140. For this you need to be sponsored by your employer(s). The first step will be labor certification.

Given the level of your experience and the current situation regarding visa retrogression, you are probably talking several years for the whole process.

Immigration Portal is a good website for H1bs looking to file for Permanent Residency, and you'll find a lot of Indian nationals posting there.

yabadabadoo

Thank you Elvira for your reply. From what I "heard", my wife who will be doing her Post Doc qualifies her for a special category (special meaning highly skilled work EB1 i guess) which has lesser waiting time, when compared to if I apply mine in a EB2 category. Is this right?

I would appreciate if you or anyone else could direct me a website which details out the step for GC for EB2 and EB1 category.

Thanks again.

Bill_S

Whether she can get an EB1 approved depends on how good a researcher she is. I know someone who was able to swing an EB1; he did his Ph.D. in a world-class lab, he has an extensive publication history (including a first-author Science paper), has been an invited speaker at several international conferences... The barrier to EB1 is steep, but if her qualifications are good enough she might be able to do it. No way it's going to happen without a very good lawyer, though.

yabadabadoo

Thanks Bill....she has around 20 papers published out of which 5 bears her as the first author and she has presented the paper in a couple of conferences. I will check with a lawyer!