Individuals with At Least Two Years of Experience as Skilled Workers
To be eligible under this category, you must possess at least two years of experience or training. The training requirement may be met through relevant post-secondary education.
To be eligible under this category of Employment based Green Card, you must hold a U.S. baccalaureate degree or foreign equivalent degree that is normally required for the profession. Education and experience may not be substituted for the degree.
3.
Unskilled Workers
You may be eligible for a Green Card in positions that require less than two years of higher education, training, or experience. However, due to the long backlog, you could expect to wait many years before being granted a Green Card under this category.
EB-4 Special Immigrant Green Card for Religious Workers
To qualify as an EB-4 special immigrant religious worker, you must be a member of a religious denomination that has a non-profit religious organization in the U.S. You must have been a member of this religious denomination for at least two years before applying for the immigrant visa. You must be entering the U.S to work:
a.
As a minister or priest of the religious denomination
b.
In a professional capacity in a religious vocation or occupation for the religious organization (a professional capacity means that a U.S. baccalaureate degree or foreign equivalent is required to do this job)
c.
In a religious vocation or occupation for the religious organization or its nonprofit affiliate. (A religious vocation means a calling or devotion to religious life. Taking vows can prove that you have a calling to religious life.)
A religious occupation is an activity devoted to traditional religious functions. Examples of religious occupations include but are not limited to cantors, missionaries, and religious instructors.
Obtaining an Employment based Green Card is three-step process for most categories.
A.
Labor Certification (Traditional):
Your employer usually handles the labor certification process. The first step is filing an application for foreign employment certification (Form ETA-750) in which the Department of Labor (DOL) requires your employer to test the labor market and conduct advertising/recruitment to find qualified, willing, available and able U.S. workers for the position.
Exceptions to Labor Certification process:
The following options may be available to you to obtain permanent residence by bypassing the Labor Certification process, and thereby reduce the time involved in obtaining permanent residence:
Your U.S. employer must file the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-140 Green Card petition on your behalf. The rationale behind submitting the petition is to prove that you are eligible for the green card, that the employer truly requires your services, and has the financial ability to pay your salary. It is also a prerequisite for the green card application. Once the petition is approved, the USCIS forwards the approved petition to the Immigrant Visa Processing Center, which will contact you when an immigrant visa number becomes available.
