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Permanent Residency Sponsorship Requests and Eligibility

The Office of International Services (OIS) is the only office with the authority to facilitate the preparation of employment-based permanent residency petitions that require a job offer. Pursuant to Institutional guidelines and policies, as well as Federal government regulations and requirements, the Institution has the discretion to accept or decline any request for permanent residency sponsorship.

Eligibility

Sponsorship criteria:

  • Non-faculty employees must hold Senior Staff positions (Job Classification 4 or above). Schools, and the Departments and Divisions within them, have the discretion to decline sponsorship or delay sponsorship until the employee has been employed with the Institution for at least two years.
  • Faculty members at the rank of Assistant Professor (or above).

Eligible faculty and staff should contact Jennifer Kerilla in the OIS for more information. In some circumstances, the OIS will recommend an in person meeting with the foreign national and an Administrator from their sponsoring Department/Division. This is particularly useful in cases where Permanent Labor Certification [PERM] will be necessary.

Institutional Permission

Permission to proceed with an employer-sponsored case requires the express written consent of the appropriate Dean. The OIS will provide eligible faculty and staff with detailed instructions for securing this permission as it varies by School.

Costs

Sponsorship for permanent residency incurs costs [legal, filing and administrative], and the responsible party for all fees must be determined prior to initiation of the case. The OIS will provide the foreign national employee and sponsoring Department/Division with an estimate of related costs. Outside counsel will provide invoices for remittance of payment.

Outside Counsel

The use of the Institution’s outside immigration counsel is required in any case where Johns Hopkins is the petitioner on Form I-140 or Form ETA-9089 [PERM]. The Director of International Scholars, or her designee, is the only individual authorized by the Institution to sign Form I-140 or Form ETA-9089.

Employer sponsored categories that require Institutional permission
  • EB-1(B): Outstanding professors and researchers
  • EB-2: Advanced degree
  • EB-3: Skilled workers and Professionals
Categories that allow for self-sponsorship

It is important to note that there are pathways to permanent residency that do not require employer sponsorship. Johns Hopkins would NOT be the petitioner on Form I-140. With regard to these cases, the foreign national employee may choose to submit a self-sponsored petition on his/her own and/or with the assistance of an attorney. If pursuing a self-sponsored case, the foreign national employee should alert the OIS to the filing as it may have serious implications on the foreign national’s non-immigrant status.

  • EB-1(A): Extraordinary Ability
  • EB-2 NIW: National Interest Waiver