linda&mick

My husband is here on an H1. Can anyone suggest good places to find information about how to start the Green Card Process.

What we have been told by our Immigration Lawyer, is;
1. PERM is long overdue
2. Need to find GC sponsor
3. Then use RIR
4. Could take between 2 to 5 years to get GC

Then we hear things like; If we are here for 5 years we can get automatic citizenship, but looking at many of the "postings" - things do not seem that easy.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Linda

Guest

"linda&mick" <member29496@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
    > My husband is here on an H1. Can anyone suggest good places to find
    > information about how to start the Green Card Process.
    > What we have been told by our Immigration Lawyer, is;
    > 1. PERM is long overdue
    > 2. Need to find GC sponsor
    > 3. Then use RIR
    > 4. Could take between 2 to 5 years to get GC
    > Then we hear things like; If we are here for 5 years we can get
    > automatic citizenship, but looking at many of the "postings" - things do
    > not seem that easy.
    > Any advice appreciated.
    > Thanks
    > Linda

Your lawyer is right.

1. Nobody knows when and how PERM will come into a play. What I have read
about PERM scarred me.

2. Yes, you need GC sponsor. It may be your current employer or another
company who will do Green Card "for future employment". Whole thing about
getting GC is: US employer unable to fill the position with US residents,
so, he's asking US government to give YOU an permanent resident status. So,
it's employer and position specific.

3. RIR is known as "quick" labor certification process. Employer should
prove that they were looking for US residents for 6 months to fill the
position, they interviewed people, "did everything possible" to find local
resident, but finally were unable to find one. And then they looked at you
and found that you are better than everyone else they saw before. This saves
6 months to 4-5 years of GC processing.

4. Not sure about 2 years. Most likely that now it will take 4 years with
everything going well. For some countries it may take 10 years and more.

Now about what your heard... You can not get citizenship just because you
lived for 5 years on H1. When you will have Green Card (permanent resident
status), you can apply for US citizenship after 5 years if you had no
conviction (were not arrested for any crime), if you kept your status (were
in US more than 6 months every year), etc... Then you have to take exam and
ceremony. In general, it's another 6 years.

Good luck. We're in the same boat.

thelimey2000

I second the good luck.My RIR went in in OCT 2003, NY state is currently reviewing applications recieved OCT 2001............4 years look about right

Amanda

linda&mick <member29496@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    > My husband is here on an H1. Can anyone suggest good places to find
    > information about how to start the Green Card Process.
    >
    > What we have been told by our Immigration Lawyer, is;
    > 1. PERM is long overdue
    > 2. Need to find GC sponsor
    > 3. Then use RIR
    > 4. Could take between 2 to 5 years to get GC
    >
    > Then we hear things like; If we are here for 5 years we can get
    > automatic citizenship, but looking at many of the "postings" - things do
    > not seem that easy.
    >
    > Any advice appreciated.
    >
    > Thanks
    >
    > Linda

There is a shortage of Registered nurse in US and it will remian that
way for quite some times, i.e need to bring in from outside. If you
study nursing, you will find employment with GC sponsor.