Caltech Guidelines for Sponsorship of U.S. Permanent Residence

In order to be eligible for Caltech-sponsorship, the individual must have:

• Accepted a Caltech tenure-track or tenured faculty position; or,
• Completed the introductory period for a full-time, regular staff position.

The additional requirements for sponsorship of staff members are:

• A determination by the Director of the International Offices that the individual and position appear to be viable for employer sponsorship, based on the individual's education and experience, and the position's basic requirements.
• The Sponsor must certify that the individual meets at least one of the following criteria:
  *Possesses specific skills or knowledge necessary for the Institute's long-term research interests or objectives;
  *Possesses specific specialized skills or knowledge for professional positions that are necessary for on-going functions at Caltech; or,
  *Possess significant grant-getting ability.
• The Sponsor has appropriate funding available and is willing to allocate the funding in support of all the expenses that pertain to the sponsored individual over the course of the application.

The Sponsor and the individual being sponsored will need to cooperate and support the process consistent with the following expectations:

• The Sponsor will not commit to sponsorship until after the staff member has successfully completed the introductory period.
• There is an expectation that the sponsored individual intends to remain in their Caltech position while the green card application is pending.
• The Sponsor will provide an appropriate account to which Costs may be charged. These are unallowable costs on Federal grant awards. For more information, contact Office of Sponsored Research.
• The Sponsor will support the process by helping to solicit appropriate letters, writing a letter of support, or working with Human Resources to conduct an appropriate search, depending on the process.
• The International Offices will provide expertise in determining which process to pursue and to ensure that only the Director of International Offices signs Dept. of Labor applications, Dept. of Homeland Security petitions, and forms authorizing representation of Caltech by an immigration attorney.
• The Sponsor and individual being sponsored will provide information and materials in a timely manner, when requested by the International Offices, Human Resources, the immigration attorney, and others.
• The Sponsor and individual being sponsored will cooperate with the International Offices and the immigration attorney in all matters, including full disclosure of grounds for exclusion before the process begins.
• If dependent Costs are not covered by the sponsor, the individual being sponsored will pay all Costs associated with the processing of their family's green cards and will utilize the same attorney selected by Caltech.

A typical application will cost about $16K. If the Sponsor elects to include coverage for dependent family members, the typical additional cost will be about $6K per person.

Attorney Fees

Caltech uses the services of outside immigration attorneys in the filing of Caltech-sponsored immigrant visa petitions. The International Offices reserves the right to select the attorney that Caltech will engage for every Caltech petition.

• The Sponsor agrees to pay all attorney fees associated with the sponsored individual.
• The sponsored individual agrees to pay all attorney fees for applications related to family members, unless otherwise stipulated in the Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement.

USCIS fees

The USCIS fee schedule can be found on the USCIS website.

• The USCIS fees for the sponsored individual may include I-140 immigrant visa petition, I-907 premium processing, I-485 application for adjustment of status/DS-260 consular processing, and related applications such as I-131 application for advance parole, 1-765 applications for advance parole, as needed.
• The USCIS fees for family members may include I-485 application for adjustment of status/DS-260 consular processing, and related applications such as I-131 application for advance parole, 1-765 applications for advance parole, as needed.

Test of the labor market costs

If the application involves the Department of Labor, the sponsor agrees to pay for the costs of advertisements placed in journals and newspapers in the context of an application for labor certification. These costs vary, depending on the location of the advertisements.

Medical exam costs

The sponsored individual and family members must complete a medical examination conducted by a U.S. government-approved physician. These examinations and/or immunizations are not covered by insurance policies since they are not related to an accident or illness. These costs need to be reimbursed by the sponsoring Division or Department directly to the sponsored individual. See "Requesting Reimbursement for Medical Costs" below.

Processing times vary considerably. It may take between one to three years, or longer, to get a green card. Variables that could affect the timeline include the individual's country of birth, the type of application, and responsiveness to attorney requests.

• After the completion of the introductory period, the staff member may complete the PR Sponsorship Determination to request a determination by the Director of the International Office as to whether their education, experience and position appear to be viable for Caltech sponsorship.
• If the determination is positive, the staff member should consult with their supervisor to confirm that they wish to proceed with sponsorship.
• Sponsor completes Certification of Eligibility for PR Sponsorship.
• Director of the International Offices prepares the Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement and provides it to the sponsored individual to obtain the relevant approvals.
• Sponsored individual returns the approved Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement to the Director of the International Offices.
• Director of the International Offices schedules a kick-off meeting with the immigration attorney.

• Professorial faculty member returns their signed employment Terms and Conditions to the Faculty Records office.
• Director of the International Offices prepares the Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement and provides it to the professorial faculty member for signature and to obtain the relevant approval from the Division Chair.
• Division Office forwards the Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement to the Faculty Records Office for approval.
• Faculty Records Office returns the approved Sponsorship for Permanent Residence and Repayment Agreement to the Director of the International Offices and provides a copy to the Division Office.
• Director of the International Offices schedules a kick-off meeting with the immigration attorney.

Sponsored individuals may seek reimbursement for related medical examination costs from the sponsoring Division or Department directly. Professorial faculty members should contact the Faculty Records Office for reimbursement for related medical examination costs.

Reimbursement for the sponsored individual's medical examination costs are not taxable income. However, if costs are covered for dependent family members, reimbursement for their medical examination costs will be taxable income.

In order to ensure that reimbursement for medical examination costs are processed appropriately, a completed Immigration Expense Reimbursement Form (Section 1) and the required documentation should be included with the reimbursement request.