International Student to Green Card Holder in 7 Years — F1, OPT, STEM OPT, H-1B, PERM, I-140, I-148

When I decided to cross the Atlantic to pursue an advanced degree in the US, I had no idea of the effect of my immigration status on my academic, professional and personal life. At that point, I could not conceive how cumbersome the immigration process is and how stressful it can become. My journey began with bright dreams and a shiny sticker on my passport, which authorized me to travel to the US to study at Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!).

Step 1: F-1 (Student Visa)

The long-awaited admission letter finally arrives and brings excitement and joy because your effort and sacrifices paid off! You have been accepted to study at your dream school in the US and lay the groundwork to turn your dreams into reality. That’s all great, but first, you have to visit the US Embassy to receive your student Visa. This VISA has the form of a sticker on your passport that proves the purpose of your visit to the US, the length of your stay, and your visa sponsor. Oh, by the way, this is strictly a student visa. You are not allowed to hold a full-time job with an F-1 Visa.

In my case as a master’s student, that Visa was valid for two years. The application process was pretty straightforward and involved a visit to my country’s US embassy.

I received my F-1 at the beginning of my trip to the US as an international student.

Step 2: OPT (Optional Practical Training Visa)

You arrived in the States, learned fascinating new things, made new friends, and are excited about what the future holds for you. The graduation date approaches quickly, and you ramp up preparations to land your first full-time job in the US. You polish your resume, you update your LinkedIn profile, you network with people in your target firms, and you start sending applications. You are a rockstar candidate! Recruiters get back to you and ask: “what is your visa status?” Brace yourself because this question will always be the first (and sometimes the last) that recruiters will ask you over the next years. Apparently, now it is necessary to obtain a different Visa to take a full-time job.

The OPT visa is valid for one year after graduation and offers recent graduates work authorization for twelve months to obtain practical training. I applied after I received a job offer and before my graduation date. Processing times tend to increase if you apply close to the graduation date in May because there is a surge of OPT applications at that time. In my case, the processing time took 110 days.

I received my OPT card towards the end of my second year in the US.

Step 3: STEM Extension (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Extension on OPT Visa)

Things are going great. You accepted a job offer, you work on exciting projects (maybe not), and you like the US lifestyle. You want to stay in the country, but it’s been a year already, and your OPT expires. Well, the good news is that you graduated from a STEM program, which authorizes you to extend your OPT Visa for two years. That is fantastic! The application for an OPT STEM extension is smooth as butter, and you continue to work uninterrupted.

My employer took care of that application, and I didn’t notice any changes in my employment status. The processing time was similar to that of my OPT, about 100 days.

My OPT STEM Extension card arrived exactly one year after my OPT card.

Step 4: H-1B (Specialty Occupations and Fashion Models Visa)

Your career is skyrocketing. You hit a couple of home runs at work, and your employer apprises you of their decision to make a long-term investment in you. They want to keep you in the firm for much longer! This news fills you with joy, but you know that staying longer requires a different visa, a specialty worker visa. Up to this point, you did not have to deal with uncertainty, but now things have become serious. You learn that over the past 5+ years, the number of applications for an H-1B visa exceeded the number of available visas. So, what happens in these cases? A lottery is used to determine whether you get an H-1B or not in that year (see figure below). If you are not lucky, you can try again next year, provided that you are still in the country with a valid visa and an employer willing to sponsor you.

The probability of H1B Visa selection has dropped dramatically over the past 7 years

I was lucky. My H-1B was in the pool of selected applications for that particular year. The processing time took 95 days.

I received my H-1B visa at the beginning of my fourth year in the US.

Step 5: Green Card — PERM (Program Electronic Review Management)

Congratulations! You were lucky in the lottery, and since then, you have been working under the H-1B Visa. You leveraged this period to prove that you worth your salt at work. There are some changes in your personal life as well. You also met a girl you like, and you have started thinking about the long-term future. You want to ensure that you can stay in the US for more than the three years (plus a 3-year extension) that your H-1B Visa offers. After all, your dream is to buy a house in the suburbs, drive a pick-up truck, and celebrate the 4th of July grilling burgers in your American flag flip-flops! Whether these goals will materialize or not depends on your employer! Fortunately, they know that you are a valuable asset to the organization, and they agree to move forward with a Green Card application. Now you have no option but to sit back and relax because you have just entered a phase of very long waiting times…

The Green Card process begins with a PERM application. PERM provides evidence about the fair salary for your position and the fact that there are no qualified US citizens to work in this role. Some complications with my application extended the total PERM processing time that normally takes around 3 to 4 months.

My PERM was approved towards the end of my sixth year in the States, after a processing time that lasted eight months.

Step 6: Green Card — I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers)

Time flies, and you receive a pleasing email: “Your PERM application has been approved.” Excellent, the next step is to file Form I-140. This stage takes only two weeks if your employer pays the premium processing fee ($1,440). Pretty awesome, don’t you think?!

My employer paid the premium processing fee, and my I-140 was approved within 11 days.

I-140 approval notification arrived within two weeks of the filing date.

Step 7: Green Card — I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status)

Now, you eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel! The last step in the Green Card process is quite eventful. It could not be any different because this step marks the finale of a long journey towards permanent residency.

First, you receive your travel authorization (Advanced Parole), and soon after comes your work authorization card (EAD). Often times, these two arrive together in a “combo card.”

Second, you are invited to get fingerprinted in a USCIS center with all the bells and whistles.

Third, you are invited again to a USCIS center for an in-person interview with an immigration agent.

And finally (drum roll), the moment that you waited for so long finally arrives! You open the envelope that contains a shiny Green Card with your picture and name on it! Welcome to America and have a joyful and prosperous life!

Green Card

I received my combo card after 83 days, and my green card arrived in a little less than nine months.

I received my Green Card after seven whole years in the US.

Please leave a comment if you need more information about the various steps described above.