Green Card Eligibility

To receive Virginia Tech sponsorship for legal permanent residence, all of the following conditions must be met:

1. The position must have the potential to be on-going with successive renewals over a period of several years. For positions funded from sponsored grants or contracts (or similar uncertain sources), the supporting unit must demonstrate a record of sustained external funding.
2. The individual's appointment must be full-time and salaried, and in compliance with federal regulations, such as prevailing wage rate. (The appointment may be restricted or regular, either academic or calendar year, as long as it is salaried, full-time, and there is an expectation of successive renewals over a period of several years. Wage employment does not meet this test.)
3. The position is significant and meets institutional needs as documented by the department and validated by the approval of the relevant senior manager. Significance may be signaled in part by rank and title, as well as documented in the job description and supported by the credentials of the individual:
   1. Instructional Faculty: Ranks of Instructor and Assistant Professor or above, including clinical faculty, but excluding adjunct, wage, or visiting faculty members.
   2. Special Research Faculty: All ranks EXCEPT postdoctoral associates, whose appointments are limited, by definition, to four years.
   3. Administrative/Professional Faculty members with significant expertise critical to the university (rank not relevant).
   4. Staff members with significant expertise critical to the university.
4. The department verifies that they wish to retain the employee in the position indefinitely subject to availability of funding, need for services, and satisfactory performance.