Green Card/Citizenship

dchr9203

Anyone have experience with sponsoring citizenship of foreign national? More to the point, if you do, is it done in-house or out sourced to a law firm that specializes in immigration? I'm pushing to have it outsourced and, as always, there are those in the company who know more than HR who think its a simple little process and the citizenship should be awarded in a month or two! So, cost has caught attention and I'm just checking around to see what other companies do to further validate my recommendation.

Thanks!

MarieHR

We sponsor Permanent Residence applications and we outsource to an immigration law firm. My previous company also outsourced any work visa or green card petition.

It is a very complicated process and it's best to outsource -- unless your company has someone w/ the knowledge and expertise on immigration matters.


Hope this helps.

Marie

pork1

OUTSOURCE the project to an immigration attorney.

I have been trying for two months to sponsor a specific person just to come and manage a work site for us. I have finally gotten to the place in the application stage (page 7)to prove that we can not find a U.S. Citizen who is qualified for the position. In our area that is an impossibility, I can find many more than I need.

I can just imagine the trouble to sponsor someone for a U.S. Citizen application. Why does the business wish to sponsor someone for U.S. Citizenship?

PORK

E Wart

Be careful about sponsoring. I hope you are just meaning that you are wanting to help them get the permit to work, which is different story. GO TO AN ATTORNEY. This is so tricky and also attorney knows how to get it done quicker and whether the candidate you have would even be able to get one. (I am assuming you have a candidate you want to hire.) Be aware it can take months. Also, who is going to pay for all this (not only the attorney but the filing fees, ad fees etc.?) It can get very expensive. Where I used to work, we had the employee go to the attorney and learn about the costs, etc. They paid this, we didn't. However, we did guarantee them a job, which they need in order to get the other paperwork. Good luck.
E Wart

Al Vreeland

An effort to obtain U.S. citizenship, like many immigration matters, can be a long and tedious journey through the constantly evolving immigration regulations. These matters often require the collaborative effort of HR and outside immigration counsel to ensure both that the immediate immigration regulations are satisfied reagarding the citizenship petition and that no action is taken that might prejudice the alien's current status.
Al Vreeland
Editor, Alabama Employment Law Letter
Lehr Middlebrooks Price & Vreeland, P.C.

dchr9203

Thanks for the feedback. We will be outsourcing this to a competent immigration attorney. I have neither the desire nor the resources to pursue it.