PERM is the new labor certification system that will allow employers to file labor certification petitions online. Employers will not need to submit supporting documentation with the cases and will instead retain all documentation for inspection in the case of an audit. A percentage of all cases will be flagged for a more extensive supervised recruitment process, but most will be approved within 45 to 60 days.

EB -3C Other Workers refer to aliens who are capable of performing unskilled labor which requires less than 2 years training or experience.

EB-3B Skilled Worker means an alien who is capable of performing skilled labor requiring at least 2 years training or experience.

EB -3A Professionals are defined as aliens who have at lest a U.S. baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent and are members of the professions.

As a foreign national you may apply for permanent residence status in the U.S. and seek a waiver of the offer of employment by establishing that your admission to permanent residence would be in the national interest of the U.S.

Advanced degree means any U.S. academic or professional degree or a foreign equivalent degree above that of baccalaureate. A U.S. 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. If a doctoral degree is customarily required by the specialty, you must possess a U.S. doctorate or a foreign equivalent degree.

Exceptional ability means a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered in the sciences, arts, or business

The various categories under the EB-2 Employment based immigrant visa are:

1. EB-2(A): This category is for foreign nationals professionals with an advanced degrees (masters degree or higher) and with a job offer from a U.S. company

2. EB-2(B): This category is for foreign nationals with exceptional ability in the sciences, business or arts and with a job offer from a U.S. company

3 EB-2(C): This category is for foreign nationals with exceptional ability, or an advanced degree, who can show that their activities will substantially benefit the U.S. national interest

The EB-2 employment visa is an immigrant visa which allows foreign nationals holding an advanced degree to obtain residency in the U.S. You must be a foreign national who:

1) Is a member of the professions holding advanced degrees or their equivalent; or

2) Because of your exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business will substantially benefit the national economy, cultural, or educational interests or welfare of the U.S

A permanent job offer is any job without a defined termination date. Most jobs are permanent jobs; it is unrelated to salary or title.

This subcategory covers aliens possessing extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics. The extraordinary ability subcategory does not require a specific job offer, so long as the alien states that they will continue to work in the field of their extraordinary ability in the US. This means that the alien may file a petition on their own behalf, rather than having an employer file for them.

The EB-1 category covers three groups:

a. Aliens of extraordinary ability

b. Outstanding professors and researchers

c. International managers and executives

A permanent job offer is any job without a defined termination date. Most jobs are permanent jobs; it is unrelated to salary or title.

The priority date, in the case of a relative immigrant visa petition, is the date the petition was filed. In the case of an employer-sponsored petition, the priority date is the date the labor certification was filed with the Department of Labor. The Visa Bulletin -- under the Visa Services homepage -- gives the changes in availability of priority dates.