EB1-OR & Employment at will

eb2pharmacy

Registered Users (C)
Hi all,
I am from a retrogressed country with EB1-EA and NIW pending at NSC. I am planning to apply for EB1-OR through employer without attorney. The question is my employer willing to sign the I-140 but stating I am a full time researcher with employment at will. . Is it necessary to state it is a permanent position.
thanks for your inputs.
eb2ph
 
even though employment at will is the norm, putting it on your application will surely lead to denial.
 
employment at will is accepted by USCIS since they consider it is a common business practice to have such clause in offer letters. Please see USCIS Memo in 2006 in regards to this point.
 
employment at will is accepted by USCIS since they consider it is a common business practice to have such clause in offer letters. Please see USCIS Memo in 2006 in regards to this point.

from some other place
"The “good cause for termination” clause has been an important issue when adjudicating EB-1(b) petitions. This clause is to be included in employment offers to ensure that the job is not “at will” employment. "

however
"USCIS’ recent memo, EB-1(b) petitions should not be denied simply because the offer of employment is lacking a “good cause for termination” clause." is the one may be you are referring. here also "at will" surely is not accepted. If u say "at will" then it is not permanent. avoiding this is better than having it.


please also see this http://www.immigrationportal.com/archive/index.php/t-139958.html
 
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If you fully read the Memo which is available online, you will see that they say "employment at will" is a common business practice. Therefore, "good cause for termination" clause should not be sought. The case should not be denied based on this basis. Please read the memo carefully. I discussed this with two lawyers.
Yakup.
 
And also link that you are referring to is discusssion that took place in 2004. USCIS changed their view on this matter in 2006.
 
NIW_help & blueone: thanks for the inputs. I am not sure whether the HR will mention about employment at will in cover letter or in employment verification letter. My original offer letter while filing H1 contained the words employment at will. I am not sure whether I have to submit a copy of that offer letter along with OR application. blueone could you please provide the link for the USCIS memo you are talking about.
thanks
eb2ph.
 

either I am naive or do not understand English,
blueone can you tell me where on the memo they have said
"at will employment" is acceptable. they said they became aware of it after careful review.


What I found was
"The petitioning employer, however, must still establish that the offer of employment is intended to be of an indefinite or unlimited duration and that the nature of the position is such that the employee will ordinarily have an expectation of continued employment."

There is one more thing that is discussed in the memo. The requirements are different for research positions and tenure track positions.
"Adjudicators do not need to evaluate whether the employment contract for a tenured or tenure-track position has a “good cause for termination” clause, and should not deny a petition seeking an outstanding professor for a tenured or tenure-track position on that basis alone."

for Research positions
Many research positions are funded by grant money received on a yearly basis. Researchers, therefore, are employed pursuant to employment contracts that are valid in one year increments. If the petitioning employer demonstrates, however, the intent to continue to seek funding and a reasonable expectation that funding will continue (such as demonstrated prior renewals for extended long-term research projects) such employment can be considered “permanent” within the meaning of 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(i)(2).



so to be on the safest side If I were to file, I will try to avoid using "at will" in the job offer at any cost.
 
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NIW_help I am not saying that you should have employment at will in the offer letter if you can avoid it. Of course, it would be better not to have it but my point is that you should not be too worried if you have it in the offer letter. USCIS doesn't deny petition based on the fact that your employment letter says "employment at will." They are looking for nature of the position "is it temporary position" or indefinite. That is what my take from the memo is and also what I have heard from two different lawyers I talked to.
Hope this helps.
 
OP quoted as
"my employer willing to sign the I-140 but stating I am a full time researcher with employment at will."

so he can change the words for this letter.
If the offer letter was old and no way of changing it then "yes" he can use it.
but he will get a new letter with this wordings, which are not very favourable to getting approved.
 
I got the paper work from HR. They tick marked permanent position in I-140 but near the signature on 140 they notated "please note at xxx company employment is at will". But they gave employment letter saying I am employed in a permanent full-time position. If I apply with this am I going to be rejected? Do I need to submit original job offer letter which says 'employment at will'. The HR may not remove empolyment at will wording from I-140. Any other options I have? Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
 
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