U.S. permanent residence (commonly referred to as green card status) may be gained through a range of employment-based (EB) immigration options. Many of the EB options require the sponsorship of a U.S. employer.
The employer must intend to hire the foreign national on a long-term basis for a position that is not considered temporary. The employer must obtain approval through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and/or the USCIS, depending upon the type of case. In limited EB categories, the foreign national may self-sponsor. In some cases, the U.S. employer can be or must be a company owned in whole or in part by the foreign national.