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Carlo Franco L. Borja is a licensed attorney in California and is authorized to represent clients in immigration matters nationwide. Based in Southern California, the immigration law firm serves clients mainly in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County including, but not limited to: Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Arcadia, Artesia, Avalon, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Carson, Cerritos, Claremont, Commerce, Culver City, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, Eagle Rock, El Monte, El Segundo, Gardena, Glendale, Glendora, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Huntington Park, Industry, Inglewood, Irwindale, La Habra, La Mirada, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lawndale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palmdale, Palos Verdes, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Redondo Beach, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Temple City, Torrance, Vernon, Walnut, West Covina, Hollywood, Westlake Village, Whittier, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, Stanton, Tustin, Westminster, Adelanto, Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Fontana, Hesperia, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, Victorville, Corona, Eastvale, Hemet, Indio, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley. Murrieta, Norco, Perris, Palm Springs, Riverside, Temecula and surrounding areas. Filipino Immigration lawyer representing clients in all US states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. 

A foreign worker with an advanced degree may obtain a green card through an employment-based 2nd preference category immigrant petition, also known as “EB2.” Advanced degree is defined by the regulations as “any United States academic or professional degree or a foreign equivalent degree above that of baccalaureate.” Moreover, the regulations state that, “a United States baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent degree followed by at least five years of progressive experience in the specialty shall be considered the equivalent of a master's degree.” Furthermore, “if a doctoral degree is customarily required by the specialty, the alien must have a United States doctorate or a foreign equivalent degree.”  

In addition to possessing an advanced degree, the foreign worker must receive a bona fide job offer from a U.S. employer for a position that normally requires an advanced degree. As with most employment-based petitions, the prospective U.S. employer must file an immigrant petition with USCIS but in certain instances, such as when applying for a National Interest Waiver, the applicant, may self-petition. Prior to filing the immigrant petition, the U.S. employer will first need to obtain a PERM (Labor Certification Application) approval from the Department of Labor but this requirement is dispensed with for National Interest Waiver applications.

The waiting time to get a green card through the EB2 category is usually faster than the 3rd preference category or “EB3” so those that qualify may want to first consider this option. If the foreign worker is approved for a green card, his or her spouse and children under 21 may derivatively receive green cards.

If you are a U.S. employer who intends to sponsor a foreign worker with an advanced degree or are an advanced degree foreign worker with a prospective U.S. employer, feel free to contact the Law Office of Carlo Borja so we can assist you in the EB2 petition process.