Thread: Guide To Green Card Permits

Hi, i'm a romanian citizen and I would like to know if I would need any form of green card to work. I have a friend of mine that works there for like 7 months now and he works in IT for a fairly large company. He doesn't have any green cards or any other permit. However he says he signed a contract, pays the taxes. how can that be?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi Rachel,

I actually fulfil all the requirements- and my employer is willing to spobnsor me.

Where my confusion lies is with the actual process.. I currently have a working holiday visa which has 9 months still to be used.. With this visa i can only work for the one employer for up to 3 months. Now my employer said that they will sponsor me for a green card but entemp have said that i have to hand in my existing working holiday visa, return to my country of origin then try to apply. Is this correct?

thanks

katie

It's a really confusing process...The problem lies is that they are not able to "cancel" working holiday visas. I'm a New Zealander, so the 3 month rule wasn't a problem, BUT getting the green card was. They really are particularly difficult about people with working holiday visas. We would have signed something saying we'd leave at or before the end of the visa (strangely enough, I know young Irish going to Australia/NZ sign something very similar, yet they don't have the same issue when trying to convert to a work permit). I tried to apply (on DETE advice) for a green card while my WHV was current (stamp 1). This was declined on "incorrect status". Ended up packing up and leaving Ireland (to another European country as a visitor, not home) and applied after it had expired, and have since been granted a green card.

I'm not sure what happens when you are overseas and the working holiday visa is still current. I don't think they can use the "incorrect status" reasoning on you from overseas, but who would know.

I think anyone else who has managed to successfully convert should post their experience. I've managed to, but it involved leaving Ireland on expiry and then applying. Not much use to someone who has the 3 month work restriction

to be honest with you i have no any first hand experience on converting working holiday visa to any work permits. but i do heard alot people saying that they have to wait for their current visa expired and re-apply in overseas.
but, the frustrating thing is it never mentioned that you cannot convert working holiday visa when you in the country in the guidelines and procedure.
but i wonder why people who are holding work permit able to convert to green card permit? the people who are holding work permit is stamp 1,and people who are holding working holiday visa also stamp 1, then why the both same stamp holders has different situation? why they said is incorrect status for working holiday visa holder not work permit holder while applying green card permit?

Originally Posted by rachel

to be honest with you i have no any first hand experience on converting working holiday visa to any work permits. but i do heard alot people saying that they have to wait for their current visa expired and re-apply in overseas.
but, the frustrating thing is it never mentioned that you cannot convert working holiday visa when you in the country in the guidelines and procedure.
but i wonder why people who are holding work permit able to convert to green card permit? the people who are holding work permit is stamp 1,and people who are holding working holiday visa also stamp 1, then why the both same stamp holders has different situation? why they said is incorrect status for working holiday visa holder not work permit holder while applying green card permit?

Yes, I wonder why too.
It used to be OK, but in June 2006, they changed the rules, as there is something that a working holiday maker signs saying they'll leave the country at the end of it (I note the irish sign the same thing when going to Australia/NZ and there are no problems for them). This is the real only difference between a work permit holder and a WHV holder. This is fine, but, I was told by DETE that I could apply before my visa expired and it would be fine. Guess it was just bad information........again.

It's completely fine to apply on the day after it expires from overseas, it's just hard because you don't know if you are going to be approved. My green card took 6 weeks in total to receive in my hand after my employer personally handed it in. I was asked for additional information, so this held it up by around about a week.

I agree totally with what is stated in the guidelines. It pretty much implies that if, in particular, you are not visa required, you can transfer from any type of permit. If visa required, then if you hold a work permit or work authorisation (which apparently cannot be converted either) you can apply.

Unsurprisingly, all construction professionals have been removed as an 'in demand' occupation, meaning if you have a job offer in this sector with a salary of between €30K and €60K you will no longer be eligible for a green card. Civil and mining engineers have also been removed.

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