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International Programs  :  Immigration Overview  :  Permanent Residents

Permanent Residents

Permanent residency is often referred to as having a "Green Card". Permanent residents have many rights which include the following:

  • The right to live in the United States permanently
  • The right to reenter the United States after traveling out of the country
  • The right to apply for U.S. Citizenship after continuously living as a Permanent Resident in the United States for five (5) years
  • The right to employment in any work that is legal

There are four main categories for green card permanent residency and even more subcategories under each main category. The main green card categories include:

  • Employment Immigration
  • Family Sponsored Immigration
  • DV Lottery
  • Asylum and Refugee status

Employment Immigration

Aliens seeking permanent residency in the United States for employment purposes must fit into one of five categories. The first category is Priority Workers which includes Intra-Company Transferees of Managers and Executives, Outstanding Professors and Researchers and Aliens of Extraordinary Ability in the Sciences, Arts, Education, Business and Athletics.

The second employment category is Aliens of Exceptional Ability in the Sciences, Arts or Business which includes Professionals with advanced degrees.

The third category includes professionals with Bachelors Degrees not qualifying in the 2nd Preference, skilled workers, and unskilled workers in special needs professions.

The fourth category is very narrow encompassing "Religious Workers" who are in the U.S. to carrying out their religious mission. The fifth category is based on economic development and includes individuals who invest one million dollars in a new commercial enterprise.

In some categories, sponsorship by the employer is necessary. For those employees at KUMC, who are interested in applying for Permanent Residency based on employment, the first step is to speak with your supervisor and Department Head. If your department is willing to sponsor you, then the department must submit a request to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.