Georgetown University sponsors certain faculty, researchers and staff for Permanent Residency. The following criteria must be met for an individual to be sponsored:

1.         The position must be permanent in nature and must be full-time.  Students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, visiting faculty, temporary and part-time employees are not eligible for sponsorship. 

2.         The individual must already be employed in this permanent position.  Pending promotions must be finalized before the paperwork will be processed. 

3.         The individual must have been working at Georgetown for one year.  While this one-year waiting period is not required by federal immigration laws, it is a University policy.  This requirement is waived for tenure-track positions. 

4.         The Department must intend to employ the individual for at least three more years.  Funding for the position for a three year period must be guaranteed.  The intent of the green card sponsorship process is that the job is available to the person at the end of the process, which may take up to three years.

 5.        The approval of the Department Chair, supervisor and Department Administrator must be obtained.  Although general information regarding green card procedures and categories may be discussed beforehand, the Office of International Programs (OIP) does not initiate Georgetown-sponsored permanent residency applications until approval is received from the Department.

All paperwork related to Georgetown-sponsored permanent residency must go through OIP to ensure accuracy and consistency of University information that is sent to the U.S. Federal Government. An international or Department may choose to hire an attorney to file the paperwork. However, all paperwork must be sent to the U.S. Government by OIP. Immigration paperwork signed by faculty supervisors or principal investigators without approval from both OIP and the Department Chair is not considered valid documentation.

Initiating Sponsorship Procedures
The employee and his/her supervisor should meet with Ms. Sandra Layton, Assistant Director of International Student and Scholar Services in OIP, to discuss the process and determine the best possible strategy in applying for permanent residency.  During this meeting it will be determined which employment-based green card classification will be pursued.  

Alternatives to Georgetown Sponsorship
If an employee does not qualify for Georgetown sponsorship, s/he may be able to self-petition under the Alien of Extraordinary Ability or National Interest Waiver categories. These categories do not require a job offer.