ע"פ תשובה שקיבלתי מעו"ד יעקב
באימייל, יש דרך מסויימת שניתן לגשת מJ1 לג"ק - ללא מעסיק - רק במידה ומדובר בכישורים **מאוד יוצאים מן הכלל*** ובתחומים מאוד ספציפיים, לגבי 99% מהמקרים זה בלתי אפשרי, ואם המעסיק עשה זאת עבורך כנראה ש"העביר" אותך דרך H1B באמצע... והנה תגובתו של עו"ד יעקב לשאלתי:
As for your question, in general terms, there are certain methods that will allow J holders to apply for green card directly. As you may know there are so many different J and so the strategy will be different for each. But for example a researcher or a post doc on a J can be eligible for a green card. There are two different methods in which a person may become eligible to bypass both the job offer requirement and the labor certification process. They are: The EB-1 for Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, and The National Interest Waiver (NIW) for Aliens of Exceptional Ability and Advanced Degree Professionals. There are two major advantages to Extraordinary (EB-1) Ability petition and NIW petition. They are much quicker than the normal labor certification process. Whereas a normal permanent residency petition channeled through the burdensome labor certification process may takes two to five years, a NIW/EB-2 or EB-1 takes only one year to process; The applicant sponsors himself/herself based upon his/her abilities, education, and experience. This means that present employment is not required, and if the applicant is employed, the employer does not have to get involved in the process. That can be a route to a green card even if the current status is a J. But most J holders will not qualify and will still need to go through an H or find another way.
