Permanent Residency (Green Card)
In limited instances, The University of Toledo will sponsor current employees for a permanent working visa commonly called a Green Card. The pursuit of Permanent Residency status must be sponsored by the dean of the college, and the college is responsible for paying all associated fees ($5,000 - $11,000).
Individuals may obtain Permanent Residency (PR) in several ways: employment-based petition, family sponsored petition, marriage to a U.S. Citizen, Asylum, Diversity Visa Lottery, and certain self-petitions (which are commonly EB-1B Extraordinarily Ability, or self-petitioned National Interest Waiver [NIW]).
For more information about the Visa Lottery, visit U.S. Department of State's Diversity Visa Program website.
Assigned Counsel
For every employer-sponsored position, The University of Toledo must use only attorneys appointed by the Ohio Attorney General. No department or employee may use a private attorney for employer-sponsored Green Card petitions. (Note: Self-petitions do not have these restrictions). Departments and Colleges are urged to discuss how this works with OISSS and the differences between employer sponsorship and self-petitions.
Note: Generally an applicant must be currently on an H-1B visa through UToledo AND must be able to maintain status during the application period. There are no guarantees of PR sponsorship by UToledo upon offer of employment and no guarantees of PR applicant success.
To start the UToledo-sponsored green card process, please complete the Green Card Request Form and Agreement.
Employment-Based Permanent Resident Preference Categories
Permanent Worker Visa Preference Categories
There are several preference categories in the employment-based permanent residency process:
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- EB-1 (first preference): Individuals of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professors or Researchers, Multinational Executives and Managers. Visit USCIS's EB-1 site.
- EB-2 (second preference): Members of the Professions Holding an Advanced Degree, Individuals of Exceptional Ability, National Interest Waiver. Visit USCIS's EB-2 site.
- EB-3 (third preference): Skilled Workers, Professionals, Other Workers. Visit USCIS's EB-3 site.
- EB-4 (fourth preference): Special Immigrants, including certain religious foreign service workers. (Not a UToledo sponsored category.)
- EB-5 (fifth preference): Investors in large U.S. business. (Not a UToledo sponsored category.)
UToledo-Sponsored Preference Categories
There are three employment-based preference categories that UToledo will consider:
- EB-1B Outstanding Professor or Research Category, if the employee meets the requirements and is recognized internationally as outstanding. To learn more, go to our EB-1B webpage.
- EB-2, Members of the Professions holding an Advanced Degree, Individuals of Exceptional Ability. To learn more, go to our EB-2 webpage.
- EB-3, Skilled Workers, Professionals, Other Workers. For more about EB-3, go to our EB-3 webpage.
The position sponsored for permanent residency must be Full-time and Permanent.
Upon departmental request, UToledo's attorney will review the prospective employee’s qualifications and make recommendations regarding whether other “green card” filings exist. Although the Labor Certification process is the most common filing, for some individuals there may exist other options. It is important to discuss what eligibility may exist for employer-sponsored applications as well as potential self-petitions. Please contact OISSS with questions.
To submit a Permanent Residency Request to OISSS, go to Green Card Request Form and Agreement