EB-4 Visa, Panama Canal Company or Canal Zone Government Employees, Permanent Residency (Green Card) in Charleston, SC

Employees of the Panama Canal Company, the Canal Zone Government, or the U.S. Government in the Canal Zone are eligible under a special program to apply for permanent residency (green card) as our ownership and management of the Panama Canal are being wound down and transferred to Panama.

To qualify, employees must show and demonstrate that

a. During the enactment of the Panama Canal Zone Treaty, they were residents of the Canal Zone.

b. They were working for the Canal Zone Company or the Canal Zone government.

c. For at least 1 year, or

d. A Panamanian national who honorably retired from U.S. government employment in the Canal Zone with a total of 15 years or more of faithful service, or

e. An employee of the Panama Canal Zone Company or the Canal Zone government who had performed faithful service for five years or more as an employee;

f. Whose personal safety or the personal safety of his or her spouse or children are in danger as a direct result of the special nature of such employment, and

g. Was a direct result of the Panama Canal Zone Treaty of 1977.

The application only requires the filing of an Adjustment of Status USCIS Form I-485, along with accompanying documentation, biometrics, and all required filing fees. Then, while the I-485 is pending, you can get work authorization and advanced parole (travel document) if you are already in the US. However, if filing from outside the U.S., the applicant must wait for admission into the U.S. as a fourth-preference EB-4 visa category, similar to an employment entry.