Permanent Residency
The Immigration Services office can assist UGA Colleges and Departments with permanent residency (aka: “green card”) applications for permanently hired staff, researchers and faculty.
Any request for permanent residency is based on a permanent, full time employment commitment by the university, and will require assistance by departmental staff and the expenditure of funds to pay required Immigration Services and government filing fees, and possibly advertisement and recruitment costs, depending on the category of sponsorship.
Eligibility
Eligible employees must be hired into a permanent position at UGA, requiring an advanced degree. The employee must also be personally eligible for permanent residency, based on their personal and immigration history. The hiring department must agree to assist Immigration Services with required paperwork, and pay all required internal and government fees.
Sponsorship Process
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PR Process Information Sheet
PR Process Information Sheet (PDF)The hiring department (supervisor) and the international employee being sponsored will need to read the PR Process Information Sheet . Please e-mail rcatmur@uga.edu if you have specific questions.
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Immigration Services office Compass portal
Compass Departmental User Guide (PDF)The department representative (hiring authority or designee) must request access to the Immigration Services office Compass portal. All of our PR sponsorship request forms are completed and submitted through this portal. Please see the Compass Departmental User Guide, which explains how to request access and submit visa sponsorship requests.
Green Card Sponsorship Timeframes
The green card process can take 18 months to many years to complete, depending on the category of filing, the citizenship and qualifications of the applicant, and the current government backlogs. Please consult with your immigration advisor regarding the anticipated timeframe for your employee. Note that usually we can continue to authorize H-1B work status during the green card process.
Adjustment of Status Application Information
The Adjustment of Status Application (AoS) is the last step in the green card process, and is the international employee’s personal application for the U.S. “green card”. This is not an employer application, and the Immigration Services office is not allowed to offer legal advice on these cases. We can assist in completing the required forms, and can refer the employee to an immigration attorney for assistance if he or she chooses to use their own legal counsel.
Please see the information sheet linked below for general details on the Adjustment of Status process.
The information provided is meant to be general in nature, and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about concurrent filing you should consult with an immigration attorney.
Access a general information sheet on Adjustment of Status applications, and Concurrent Filing
Adjustment of Status Information on the Internet
Additional Information
Important note: These procedures are specific to the process used to file petitions through sponsorship by the University of Georgia. Information contained herein should not be considered valid for people filing applications that are NOT University sponsored. Immigration Services is the only office on campus to have signature authority for any federal documents related to permanent residency. The State Attorney General has prohibited the signing of form G-28 Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative by any other campus representative.