Guest

My company is applying for employment-based Green Card for me. Any practical
advice if we should file RIR right now or wait for PERM to go life? Based on
my qualifications both processes may be successful, but what will be more
practical?

marlborobell

If you have already done the recruitment and proved there is no American ready, willing and able to do the job, I suggest you file RIR now. Reasons:
(1) It's free. It's rumored that PERM will cost $1500 or so just as a filing fee.
(2) You get a priority date earlier than the start of PERM (might be important if PERM leads to a flood of employment-based Green Cards and DOS bumps up against the cap and starts retrogressing priority dates)
(3) Nobody knows exactly what PERM will look like, although we should find out in the next couple of weeks. The draft regulations were pretty onerous (although I've heard the final ones will be much easier)
(4) If PERM does turn out to be a better deal, you can re-file then.
(5) The new Backlog Reduction Centers will mean that your waiting time to approval won't be completely horrendous -- and even if it is, you haven't lost anything: if you're you can re-file under PERM and have it all done in no time.

That's my personal point of view, anyway. Your mileage may vary.