This is my friend’s case, and I have shared all what I experienced, but she still wants to know what everyone think lol
Here’s what she shared with me:
I’m currently on OPT, and my employer is very supportive of sponsoring a green card. However, the internal legal team initially thought that H-1B was a prerequisite. I explained to them that F1 holders can actually go through the PERM + green card process directly.
The company also consulted an external legal team, and their advice was to secure H-1B first before starting the process, citing that the I-140 might face stricter scrutiny. However, I’ve seen multiple forum discussions where people on OPT successfully went through the I-140 process without issues.
The company has no problem supporting H-1B, but the lottery is highly unpredictable—there’s a real chance I might not get selected even after five years. If we start the PERM process now, I could already have my combo card in five years.
So, how can I convince my employer to proceed with PERM now instead of waiting for an H-1B approval first? Anyone with similar experiences, please share your advice!