It is recommended that you have at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in order to obtain PR through employment. The first stage is to obtain your work visa (H-1; see attached articles); this can take up to ninety days. The second stage is applying for labor certification – here the time frames vary from state to state. The “Green Card” application is filed with the INS once Labor Certification is granted. The process of Labor Certification can take as little
as six months in one state and up to three years in another. Check out the time frames in your state. Beware of practitioners who do not give you realistic time frames for these procedures. Also, beware of practitioners who talk only about Labor Certification or the “Green Card” without discussing the Work Visa process if applicable, and then surprise you with a bill for the Work Visa.