Permanent Employment Immigration Visas
In most cases, if you sign an employment contract with a sponsoring company in a Western country, you can apply for permanent residency after living in the country for a few years.
Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
Each year (October 1 – September 30), approximately 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are made available to qualified applicants under the provisions of U.S. immigration law. Employment-based immigrant visas are divided into five preference categories:
Employment First Preference (E1): Priority Workers
Employment Second Preference (E2): Professionals with Advanced Degrees and Persons with Exceptional Ability
Employment Third Preference (E3): Skilled Laborers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (All Other Workers)
Employment Fourth Preference (E4): Certain Specially Statused Immigrants
Employment Fifth Preference (E5): Immigrant Investors.
Fees
The fees charged for the following services:
Filing the required immigrant application form for a foreign worker – Form I-140 or the required application for an Asian American immigrant, widow(er) or designated immigrant – Form I-360 (this fee is charged by USCIS)
Preparing the immigrant visa application, Form DS-260
Medical examination and required immunizations (costs vary)
Other costs may include: translations, photography fees, fees for obtaining the documents you need to obtain the immigrant visa application (e.g., passport, police certificates, birth certificates, etc.); and travel expenses to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for your visa interview. Costs vary from country to country and from case to case.
Required Documents
The following documents are required:
A passport valid for six months beyond the date of entry into the United States, unless a longer period of validity is specifically requested by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country. Please review the instructions provided for guidance.
Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Form.
Two photographs, please see the photograph requirements in Photograph Requirements.
Civil documents of the applicant (F4 applicant). Please see Documents to be Submitted by the Applicant for more specific information about documentation requirements, including: Information that may need to be translated in documents. The consular officer may ask for more information during your visa interview. Please bring originals (or certified copies) of your civil documents – for example, birth and marriage certificates, as well as legible photographs of all original civil documents and any translations required for your immigrant visa interview. The originals and translations will be returned to you later.
Financial Support Documents – At your immigrant visa interview, you must demonstrate to the consular officer that you will not become a public officer in the United States. (Note: For applicants where a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) relative has filed a Form I-140 petition or where such relative has a substantial ownership interest in the entity being applied for, that person must complete Form I-864 – Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the Act – on behalf of the applicant.)
Completed Medical Examination Forms – These forms are provided by a physician assigned to treat patients after you have completed your medical examination and received your vaccinations.