Legal Permanent Residency

Service Audience:
  • New Employee
  • Current Employee
  • Supervisor
  • Faculty

Information on U.S. Permanent Resident Petitions

The University of Texas at Arlington will consider sponsorship of eligible employees for legal permanent resident (LPR) status in accordance with its U.S. Permanent Residency Policy and Procedures. The International Employment Coordinator will guide the processing and preparation of documentation related to the LPR petition; however, significant assistance and involvement from hiring departments and employees will be required. Please be aware that some LPR petition options have a limited timeframe in which to be filed; therefore, departments are encouraged to contact the International Employment Coordinator as soon as they make a determination as to sponsorship. In some cases, Outside Counsel may be required in which the Department will incur additional fees.

  • To initiate an LPR Sponsorship, the following form must be completed and submitted to International Employment Coordinator.
    LPR Request to Initiate Form 
  • You must also send the fully signed offer letter. Without this, we will not start the case.
  • Only certain employee groups are eligible for sponsorship. All requests will be reviewed by the International Employment Coordinator, and the Executive Director of HR. Full time tenure-track faculty and some research positions are pre-approved. All others will require approval to begin the process. The Executive Director of HR and CHRO maintain the right to deny sponsorship of a case regardless of prior approval.

Note: USCIS has announced a fee increase effective April 1, 2024

Cases filed on or after April 1, 2024:

  • $715 filing fee
  • $2,805 optional premium processing
    • This speeds up adjudication of the final step down to 15 days instead of many months. This is recommended in most cases, however the fee will be discussed
  • Various mailing costs
  • Other costs dependent on case type (i.e. advertising fees, around $1,000)
  • Legal fees should they be required.
  • All fees will be disclosed and discussed with the department, after the International Employment Coordinator has reviewed the case and met with the employee. Different case types have different associated fees, and the case type must be chosen based on the employee’s background.
  • UTA does not pay for any costs associated with dependents or for the I-485, Adjustment of Status

Cases filed before April 1, 2024:

  • $700 filing fee
  • $2,805 optional premium processing fee (Increased Feb 26, 2024)
    • This speeds up adjudication of the final step down to 15 days instead of many months. This is recommended in most cases, however the fee will be discussed
  • Various mailing costs
  • Other costs dependent on case type (i.e. advertising fees, around $1,000)
  • Legal fees should they be required.
  • All fees will be disclosed and discussed with the department, after the International Employment Coordinator has reviewed the case and met with the employee. Different case types have different associated fees, and the case type must be chosen based on the employee’s background
  • UTA does not pay for any costs associated with dependents or for the I-485, Adjustment of Status

The beneficiary must maintain the same job title and duties until they are granted permanent residency. They are not permitted to change positions, leave UTA, or otherwise have any change to the terms of their employment. The length of time which an employee must wait is dependent upon their country of birth

  • UTA will not sponsor a case for an employee who is expected to be temporary.
  • If the beneficiary must be terminated, or if there is a necessary change in job duties or title, you must contact the International Employment Coordinator.

Contact:

International Employment Coordinator
Phone: (817) 272-5554
internationalemployment@uta.edu

UTA Procedure: Find the HR-E-PR31 here