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QUESTION: After receiving my green card through my employer, how long do I have to stay with my employer before I can look for a new job? Will my leaving affect my chances of getting citizenship?
THE IMMIGRATION ANSWER MAN – ARI SAUER: There is no set amount of time that someone must stay with their employer after receiving their green card. You must have had the intention to work for your employer in the sponsored position. Your employer must have had the intention to employ you in the sponsored position. If you do not work for your employer at all, or only work for a short period of time, this could cause USCIS to question whether you actually intended to work for the employer. Therefore it is recommended that you work for the employer for at least a while. Some attorneys recommend that you work for the employer for at least 3 months, while some attorneys recommend that you work for the employer for at least 6 months. However, there is no set amount.
Normally this question will not come up until the employee applies for citizenship. USCIS can look to see if you worked for the employer in order to determine whether you committed fraud in your green card application. however, as long as you worked for the employer for some period and can give a reasonable explanation for leaving the position, the fact that you did not stay with the employer long should not be a bar to receiving citizenship.
You should also keep in mind that, in certain circumstances, the green card application is portable to a new employer. Therefore, when the application is portable, you can start working for the new employer as your new petitioner even before the green card application is approved. However, before you move to a new employer under the portability regulations, I would recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer to ensure that your application is truly portable.
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* This is an advertisement. Ari Sauer is an attorney with the Siskind Susser law firm. www.visalaw.com/ari.html. On this blog we answer questions as a service to our readers, but we cannot assume any liability related to reliance on anything herein, and responses to questions are not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship. Immigration laws and regulations are constantly changing and the rules stated may not apply to your situation. Readers are cautioned to schedule a consultation with an immigration lawyer before acting on anything stated in this blog. This blog is not intended to substitute for a consultation with a qualified immigration law attorney. Ari Sauer is licensed to practice law through the states of New York and New Jersey. Certification as an Immigration Specialist is not currently available in Tennessee, New York or New Jersey. Siskind Susser limits its practice strictly to immigration law, a Federal practice area, and we do not claim expertise in the laws of states other than where our attorneys are licensed.
