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Permanent Residents

Hiring International Faculty and Researchers

The University of California, Berkeley assumes a considerable responsibility under immigration law when it sponsors international faculty or researchers for permanent resident status. We ask departments to exercise care and use the employment authority of the University to request immigration benefits only when it is consistent with the University’s goals, programs, and standards and within the context of immigration laws.

U.S. immigration law emphasizes protecting jobs for U.S. workers and makes it very difficult to bring workers to the this country even if they are highly qualified and badly needed. Berkeley International Office staff are committed to assisting departments and scholars with any issues related to immigration. We cannot change the laws, but we make it our business to provide maximum guidance through these complicated legal procedures.

Departments and sponsoring faculty members need to be aware that the penalty for knowingly providing false information on an immigration application is a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to five years (Title 18, US Code, Section 1001).You will understand why we must receive complete documentation for every application we file for immigration benefits.

Categories of Sponsorship at UC Berkeley

Under employment-based eligibility, two categories of sponsorship are available to departments and institutes that hire a nonimmigrant employee into a permanent position at UC Berkeley:

  1. Labor Certification
    Primarily reserved for tenure track teaching faculty positions that were filled by a national competitive recruiting and hiring procedure.  The process involves filing a petition with the Department of Labor (DOL) and usually takes anywhere from nine months to one and a half years or longer for the faculty member to acquire the “green card.”
  2. Outstanding Professor or Researcher
    Used for permanent research positions or for tenure-track or tenured faculty positions that were hired without the usual search. 

Information and Forms

The following information materials will assist departments who may or will be hiring international faculty or researchers: