When an employee asks an employer to sponsor him/her for a green card, does this mean that the employer has to pay the costs associated with this process too? Is there a law governing this? Typically, who pays for this process?

-- Rosie Burns (rosie_burns1@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002

Answers

There is no hard-and-fast rule for green card applications. Bigger companies and computer companies of all sizes tend to pay for everything. Besides that, people negotiate all kinds of arrangements. The Labor Department might be concerned about the worker paying all of the employer's legal fees as a payroll deduction.

-- Michael Boyle (boylelaw@aol.com), April 17, 2002.