UNCW - Office of International Programs - International Students and Scholars

What is Lawful Permanent Residence?

Lawful permanent residence (LPR) gives a foreign national authorization to live and work permanently in the United States.

What is the procedure to sponsor an individual for LPR?

Whether to sponsor an individual for LPR is a UNCW decision. The Office of International Programs processes LPR applications only at the request of a department, not at the request of the foreign national employee. No outside attorneys may file or sign petitions for foreign nationals on behalf of UNCW.

UNCW only sponsors employment-based petitions in two categories:

Special Handling for College and University Teachers:

To be eligible for this category, the foreign national must hold a teaching position, the hiring department must have conducted a competitive recruitment process for the position, and the labor certification must be filed with the Department of Labor within 18 months of the foreign national being selected for the position.

Step 1 - Labor Certification (UNCW does this)

Step 2 - Filing the I-140 Immigrant Petition (UNCW does this)

Step 3 – Filing the I-485 for Adjustment of Status (the foreign national does this)

Step 4 - The Adjustment Interview (the foreign national does this)

Outstanding Professor or Researcher Category

To be eligible for this category, the foreign national must: (1) have at least three years experience in teaching or research in the academic field, (2) be recognized as Outstanding* in the academic field, and (3) hold a tenured or tenure-track teaching position or a permanent research position in the area of expertise.

*Being Outstanding in the academic field must be evidenced by at least two of the following:

· Receipt of major prizes or awards

· Membership in associations which require outstanding achievements of their members

· Published material in professional publications written by others about the alien’s work

· Serving as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied academic field

· Authorship of scholarly books/articles with international circulation

· Evidence of the alien’s original scientific or scholarly contributions to the field.

Step 1 - Filing the I-140 Immigrant Petition (UNCW does this)

Step 2 – Filing the I-485 for Adjustment of Status (the foreign national does this)

Step 3 - The Adjustment Interview (the foreign national does this)

Go here for the LPR forms and more information.