Permanent Residence (PR) in the U.S. is an immigration status that allows a foreign citizen to live and work permanently in the U.S. while retaining home country citizenship. Permanent Residence is not the same as U.S. citizenship. There are a number of terms that are used to refer to PR, including: green card, immigrant status, immigrant visa, lawful permanent residence, resident alien. Learn more about ways to apply for Permanent Residence on the USCIS website.
ISSS processes employment-based PR petitions for tenured and tenure-track teaching faculty. We refer other faculty and staff to appropriate University offices and private attorneys. We refer students, faculty, and staff who already have or are changing to PR status to appropriate University offices/services.
Permanent Residence for Faculty and Staff
Hiring and Recruiting
The following University policies and resources contain information related to recruitment requirements for foreign national employees:
- Citizenship, Residency and Visa Requirements (appendix to Hiring Faculty and Staff; includes a summary of advertising requirements for Permanent Residency Labor Certification)
- Interviewing (see “National Origin” sample questions)
- It is critical to include the University’s required language regarding federal requirements for I-9 compliance in all job offer letters. Please refer to the OHR website for specific language and offer letter templates.
Tenured and Tenure-Track Teaching Faculty
Once offered a position, ISSS generally handles Permanent Residency applications for tenured and tenure-track teaching faculty through the EB-2 Labor Certification process. See Tenure-Track Faculty Permanent Residence Applications.
All Other Job Categories
Persons in other full-time, permanent positions may qualify to apply for Permanent Residence either by self-petition or through the University of Minnesota (petition by employer). See Paths to Permanent Residence in Higher Education for the most common avenues.
University departments who decide to pursue a PR petition (submitted by employer) must work with the University Office of General Counsel (OGC) and a private immigration attorney. OGC handles the eligibility of the position and the clearance of private attorneys in such cases.
ISSS provides information on finding immigration attorneys and law practices.
