5) Green Card Pathways (Permanent Residency)
Consider EB-3 path (the backup with longer waits)
EB-3 has lower requirements—just a bachelor's degree or 2 years of experience—but longer wait times. You must have an employer sponsor you through the PERM labor certification process. The advantage: more jobs qualify, and more employers are willing to sponsor EB-3 than EB-1 or EB-2. Once your I-485 (adjustment of status) has been pending for 180 days, you gain AC21 portability—you can change jobs without restarting your green card process, as long as the new job is in a 'same or similar' occupation. This is your escape valve if your sponsoring employer becomes toxic.
Not all degrees are created equal in the eyes of U.S. immigration.
- The "STEM" Advantage: If you choose a program on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, you get 36 months of work authorization (12 months of OPT + 24 months of STEM extension). A non-STEM degree only gives you 12 months total.
- The "CIP Code" Check: Before you finalize your major, ask your DSO: "What is the CIP code for this degree?" If that code isn't on the STEM list, you only get one shot at the H-1B lottery. STEM gives you three shots.
- You can get a STEM extension at each degree level (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD). If you do a non-STEM Master's after a STEM Bachelor's, you might still be able to use your previous STEM degree for an extension!
Free Resource:DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List
Resources
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