Postdocs can take advantage of self-petition:

Post doc’s/PhD’s (and some exceptional PhD students) can take advantage of two useful approaches for their Green card/Permanent residency application. As a PhD you can self-petition for your permanent residency via an EB1-A, extraordinary ability or an EB2-NIW, National interest wavier categories.

• These two categories do not require a sponsorship from an employer. They also do not require a permanent job offer.
• Beneficiaries can self-petition and their application is not tied to any employer.
• Beneficiaries have a great flexibility in changing jobs within their research area.
• Beneficiaries can by-pass the PERM labor certification process saving them significant amount time.

Beneficiaries may be able concurrently file allowing their families also to take immediate advantage of employment authorization and advanced parole. 

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