Sponsor Permanent Residency

UCSC divisions and departments can sponsor permanent resident status for employees in permanent, full-time positions that require professional-level credentials.

According to APO policy, these employees include individuals hired in tenure-track faculty positions, researchers in the Professional Researcher Series (at the Associate Researcher level or higher, if funding is guaranteed for a minimum of three years), and for Continuing Lecturers (under very limited circumstances as determined by the USCIS). All university-sponsored permanent residency cases must be processed through ISSS and a UCOP-vetted immigration attorney. 

To start the permanent residency process please log into iGlobal Department Services and complete the Outside Counsel Request for Permanent Residency Form. Upon receipt of the completed form, an initial consultation will be set up with ISSS, an immigration attorney, the hiring unit, and the employee. The meeting will cover strategy for filing, as well as the cost and timeline of the petition.

IMPORTANT

Special Handling for Teaching Faculty allows facilitated recruitment and standard in most faculty Permanent Residence cases.  To take advantage of this option, UCSC must submit a Labor certification application to the Department of Labor within 18 months of the date the faculty member was selected for their position. For this reason, please reach out to International Scholar Services to discuss the Permanent Residency Strategy for all new foreign national faculty hires immediately upon selection, even in cases where sponsorship will be delayed.  Failure to file within this time period and to properly document the recruiting effort may make it difficult to obtain Permanent Residency on behalf of the employee for a period of several years or longer.

Schedule of Fees

ISSS does not charge an internal fee for Permanent Residence petitions, however, the following legal and government application fees do apply. These fees are non-exhaustive and subject to change. 

Permanent Residence Process with Labor Certification: EB-2 Faculty Special Handling

Permanent Residence Process: EB-1 Outstanding Professors and Researchers, National Interest Waiver

Adjustment of Status (any Permanent Residence Process)

Incidental Fees