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International Students - Residency
Info on Permanent Residency
(Green Card)
If you now hold a valid H-1B1 visa or a J-1 visa, you must qualify for one of the following I-140 requirements in order to be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency (green card):
1. Labor Certification
This can be done through Montana Tech with Corky Bush, Director of Affirmative Action.
This process requires departmental involvement.
There is a fee for this service.
New researchers cannot apply for Labor Certification.
This process can take several months.
For more information please call Corky Bush at 994-2042
After the Labor Certification is approved by the Dept of Labor, then Sally O'Neill of the Office of International Programs will gather the other necessary documents from the applicant and send them to the INS. There is a $500 fee for this service.
2. Outstanding Researcher or Professor
You must meet 3 of 6 criteria in order to apply for this. The list of criteria is on the CIS website at www.uscis.gov
Margie Pascoe at the Office of International Programs will assist you with this process.
3. National Interest Waiver
You can find out more about this option on the INS website. We do not currently process these at Montana Tech, but you can apply for this status on your own.
All of these I-140 processes take time. Remember you are working with the INS and it is a huge bureaucracy. Plan on starting this process at least 2 years in advance of your visa expiration date. Also, it is now possible to apply for the I-140 and permanent residency at the same time-which will cut down on the waiting time.
Always check with the INS website for more specific updated information.
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