ft, quite sophisticated lah.I am not very clear too.Just say what I know.I am not sure of EB1 and family-related.

1. if you have US citizen relatives , you can go family-related.It may be fast, maybe not.Check with websites or laywer.

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-5-18 22:16:26编辑过]

2.Emplyee-base.
Company sponsored for you.
I guess there are EB1,2,3 three types for employee based.
Each type have diffrent degree requirement and salary requirement.
So if you go this type, you need to talk to lawyer and company.
See how much company would like to pay you after your GC application reach certain range.And of coz your degree level matters.
I guess EB1 is phD,EB2 is master,EB3 is BS.I am not sure.
In your county there is a wage bottom(prevailing wage?) for your title.
Like software EngineerI, II,III go for different wages.
The laywer will select a right title for you and write a nice advertisement for you which matches you well and try to expel more person out and put it on newspapaers etc.He will worry about it.(Some company run the ads by themselves.)
-That's what laywers are paid for.

2.Some EB1 is not empoyee-sponsored,and NIW is also not employee sponsored.( I don't remember if it belongs to EB2)
That means you are so good that you don't need a job or employer to support you for green card.
Get your degree from which famous university and your publications and your patents and references from 8 YuanShi....hehe, maybe not need so much, I am kidding.
In all, show everyhitng that means you are so good so US should give you a GC.

Some years ago, NIW is very easy.A Master degree can get you it but not now.
Some people in certain major like biology etc may have more advatage in it or your lab is a US national lab etc.publications in CELL etc can help you get it, I am not sure the detail.
A story is some old lady who makes good Chinese JianZhi also get GC for NIW.(because it matched national intrest ,US don't have people good at it.) somehting like that, I am not sure.

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-5-18 22:18:02编辑过]

4.Some EB1 are sponsored. some are not.
Check or google EB1 if you are intrested in it.There are several diffrent kinds of EB1 application.

5. Generally EB2,3 application has normal and RIR 2 types.
RIR is faster. Now most people did RIR.RIR means you need to put ads on media to show that the employee can't find a nice US citizen to do the job and they wish to get you a GC sooner.Check RIR or google it if you need a employee-based GC.
Normal took quite long and maybe you need to put ads after certain stage?I don't know.
If your company/city has had massive lay off on people who has same title as you then you can't do RIR.
If RIR is not approved then it may be changed to normal.
Sometimes they give NOF(Notice of finding) on it, then you need to rerun the ads once and tell them again -I can't find the right person.

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-5-18 22:20:52编辑过]

6.If you work in a school as teacher or even a librarian who give letures maybe once a month. You may apply for a special RIR for school teacher which is pretty faster.
Don't need papers ,references etc.
I guess your school may need to put ads on the media when they hire you or you come to your school from the published ads.Something like that, if you are intrested in this kind, check it out with a lawyer.

hehe, In all, ask a lawyer, it is free before you sign the contract and you may like to ask more than one.

For EB1 and the school teacher RIR, I have freinds who did it by themselves and got it, so saved some attorney fees.
but some of them get some trouble and has to amend materials( I guess this is normal).
some of them have to try it again.
So if you are not in a hurry or quite sure it is a easy case, you can try it yourself.
Or if you have freidns /colleges who did it you can copy their materials.
otherwise get a lawyer, what they really did is quite limited , but they may save you some trouble.