CASE: I-485 Adjustment of Status based on Approved I-140 (EB-2)
APPLICANT: Kenyan Non-Profit Housewarming Project Manager
LOCATION: Cleveland, OH
Our client is currently working as a Non-Profit Housewarming Project Manager whose current employer was willing to petition him for a second-preference petition (I-140). Our client has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in a related field and work experience. He has been working for his current employer under an OPT status. Based on our client’s education, professional and work background, our office determined that he is clearly eligible for EB-2 classification for his I-140 petition. Our client eventually retained us.
Prior to filing PERM, our firm prepared the prevailing wage request, job order, advertisements, internal job posting, recruitment report, and all other steps which are important pre-PERM filing. Take note that the PERM application could be filed at least 60 days from the job posting date or 30 days from the last ad. On April 2, 2015, the prevailing wage request was filed. Once we received the Prevailing Wage determination, our office filed the job order on August 20, 2015. On November 20, 2015, we promptly filed PERM.
However, on May 2, 2016, the Department of Labor issued a request for audit. The DOL requested documents from Petitioner to determine whether the recruitment process was done properly. In response to the Audit request, our office prepared the response to Audit brief along with Employer’s declaration, notice of filing, and recruitment documentation on May 11, 2016.
Eventually, on July 18, 2016, the PERM Labor Certification was approved – an EB2 position for the Kenyan beneficiary. We then proceeded with the I-140 Petition filing. We submitted the “ability to pay” letter for the I-140 petition application. We included the job offer letter, employer’s tax records, and other necessary supporting documents. The I-140 Petition was filed on July 28, 2016 via premium processing service. On August 8, 2016, the I-140 EB-2 Petition for our Kenyan client was approved without any Request for Evidence (RFE).
Our office filed his I-485 application along with his I-140 petition concurrently. On March 1, 2017, the USCIS approved his I-485 application as well. Now, he is a green card holder.