Special Handling Labor Certification

General Overview

Foreign nationals who have been selected through a competitive recruitment and selection process and who occupy certain teaching positions may be eligible to seek permanent residency through PERM Special Handling Labor Certification.  Please schedule an appointment with the Director of UBIS in order to determine if your position qualifies for Special Handling. 

Under this process, there are three steps to permanent residency:

(1)The preparation and submission of a PERM Special Handling Labor Certification Application to the U.S. Department of Labor.  The Application must be filed with DOL within 18 months of the issuance of the letter of offer. The hiring department must demonstrate to the U.S. Department of Labor that, after a competitive recruitment and selection process, the foreign national was found to be more qualified than any of the U.S. workers who had applied for the position.

(2)The preparation and submission of an Immigrant Petition to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). The hiring department, with the assistance of UBIS, petitions USCIS for permanent residency on behalf of the international employee.

(3)The preparation and submission of an Adjustment of Status Application.  After approval of the Immigrant Petition, the international employee applies to “adjust” or change his/her temporary status to permanent. At the end, the individual receives the so-called “green card.”

Disclaimer

The information contained on this web page is provided as a service to the international faculty, researchers, staff, employees and administrators of University at Buffalo, and does not constitute legal advice on any immigration, tax, or other matter. We try to provide useful information, but we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site or any associated site. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel. Neither the University at Buffalo nor the Office of UB Immigration Services is responsible for any errors or omissions contained on this web page, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.

Contact

Email: immsvcga@buffalo.edu        Tel. Number: (716) 645-2355