Permanent residence obtained through a Texas A&M University System member is an employer-driven process and is always initiated by the hiring department.
Per System Regulation 33.99.09, only certain positions may be considered for sponsorship. Employers may choose to sponsor employees in permanent or tenure-track positions when it can be clearly demonstrated that the employee meets sponsorship requirements and sponsorship is in the department’s best interest.
All permanent residency sponsorship requests must be initiated by the department or division head.
Obtaining Permanent Residency Status
Departments interested in sponsoring an individual for permanent residence should email engineeringhrvisitors@tamu.edu requesting guidance. Engineering Human Resources & Payroll will provide the department with the appropriate Employment Based Permanent Residence Request Form and an example memorandum of support or request for approval.
The department must clearly explain how the sponsorship of the employee is in the department’s best interest in the memo and address the following information:
- The foreign national has been employed for a minimum of one year (unless waived for tenure-track faculty);
- The the foreign national's current overall performance rating is “above average or higher;”
- The foreign national's employment will continue for the foreseeable future;
- Funding to support the foreign national's position is in place for at least three (3) years and there is a reasonable expectation that the funding will continue; AND
- There is a reasonable expectation that the foreign national will remain employed with the department for at least three (3) years after becoming a permanent resident.
The department will return the two signed documents, along with the employee's current vitae, the employee’s original offer letter and a copy of the journal advertisement placed when the employee was recruited in an email to engineeringhrvisitors@tamu.edu for further routing and submission to Faculty Immigration Affairs.
Faculty Immigration Affairs will obtain final approvals–by the vice president for Faculty Affairs for Texas A&M faculty–and make a recommendation to the Engineering Human Resources & Payroll and the department on which route to pursue for permanent residency.
More information on the positions eligible for sponsorship, the various permanent residency categories and self-petitioning can be found on the Faculty Affairs Website.