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Internal LPR Process

After a decision has been made to sponsor someone for LPR, the hiring department should submit the LPR Department Request Form to OISS.

Once OISS receives the request, university-approved outside counsel is obtained, and in-house case management begins in parity with chosen law firm.

General information for departments and beneficiaries

  • We STRONGLY recommend that H-1B status is maintained until the adjustment application (I-485) is approved. Extension beyond the six-year limit is possible, provided the labor certification or the I-140 Immigrant Petition has been pending for more than a year. Contact OISS for further details on filing extensions beyond six years.
  • Deans, Directors, and Chairs are responsible for signing process authorization forms and for designating signature authority for employment related immigration application documents to an appropriate individual in the hiring unit.
  • The hiring unit is responsible for payment of OISS internal processing fees as well as all costs associated with testing the labor market and filing a PERM labor certification. These expenses may not be passed on to the foreign national. The costs associated with attorney fees and USCIS processing fees for employment-based petitions, as well as self-sponsored immigration petitions, can be determined between department and beneficiary.

Processing time

The processing time varies greatly dependent on category and citizenship and is based on USCIS timelines and backlog for the year in which the petition was submitted. Timeline expectations can be discussed further with attorney input. It is reasonable to expect 6 months - 2.5 years.

Spouses & children

Dependents will be included on the I-140 Immigrant Petition. Including dependents on the I-140 enables them to apply for employment authorization, even if they are in H-4 status. Please refer to Applying for an EAD while in H-4 Status for more information

Likewise, as part of the Adjustment of Status application, dependents are also eligible to file an application for employment authorization document (EAD) and/or Advance Parole (travel authorization) to use in place of their current nonimmigrant status. Once an EAD is issued, the holder of the EAD may work and use the advance parole for travel. Both the Advance Parole and the EAD are granted for a limited amount of time. Therefore, there may be a need to request an extension of both the EAD and travel authorization. Applications for such extensions should be filed as soon as possible. Please discuss this extension with the attorney handling your green card application.

Address changes

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will not forward mail from USCIS even if there is a forwarding address on file. All addresses must be updated using Form AR-11 within 10 days of a change in address.

Prior to travel abroad

Please consult with the immigration attorney who filed your petition. Depending on where the petitioner is the process, travel could compromise the application.