Information for WHOI Sponsors

Permanent Residency (Green Card)

General Information

An individual can become a lawful permanent resident on the basis of their relationship to a United States citizen or a permanent resident, sponsorship by an employer with an offer of employment, proving entitlement to refugee or asylum status or qualifying as a "diversity" immigrant. The Institution handles only those applications to immigrate which are based on employment at the Institution.

The "Outstanding Professors & Researchers" category is generally available to professors and researchers who are outstanding in their field. This category does not require a labor certification from the Department of Labor and sidesteps the issue of availability of U.S. workers. A job offer is required for this classification.

Establishing eligibility under the "Outstanding Professor/Researcher" category requires:

• The alien is recognized internationally as outstanding in their specific field.
  
• The alien is offered a tenured or tenure track position.
  
• The alien has at least three years teaching and/or research experience
  
• The U.S. employer normally employees at least three people full time in research and has achieved documented accomplishments.
  

Evidence must be presented in at least two of the following categories:

• Documentation of an alien's receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement in the academic field;
  
• Documentation of the alien's membership in associations in the academic field which require outstanding achievements of their members;
  
• Published material in professional publications written by others about the alien's work in the academic field. Such material shall include the title, date, and author of the material;
  • Evidence of the alien's participation as the judge of work of others in the same or an allied academic field;
    
  • Evidence of the alien's original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field; or
    
  • Evidence of the alien's authorship of scholarly books or articles (in scholarly journals with international circulation) in the academic field.

Documents Required for the Outstanding Professor or Researcher Petition:

• A brief (2-3page) narrative summary of the alien's education, training and work experience highlighting the significant research interests and accomplishments.
  
• A brief description of the activities of the department in which the alien is conducting research, including such information as number of scientists, amount and source of funding, principal research accomplishments and focus.
  
• A copy of Curriculum Vitae, including list of publications.
  
• Complete copies of articles, reviews, etc.
  
• Copies of any relevant documents such as the following:
  • Invitations to speak at meetings or review articles for publication
    
  • Memberships in professional associations
    
  • Patent information
    
  • Confirmation of receipt of awards, honors, or scholarships,
    
  • Citation listings for publications from professional indexes,
    
  • And any magazine or newsletter articles which mention alien or alien's work.
• Supporting letters from experts both inside and outside the U.S.
  
• Copies of passports and H-1 or J-1 visa documentation
  
• Copies of birth and marriage records
  
• Translations of any foreign language documents