Getting a green card without moving to the USA - ask

QUESTION: My husband just returned from Houston and appearently his company
would like for him to consider moving there and applying for a green card.
{I guess that the coast guard would prefer that offshore workers be either
US citizens or at least hold a green card.} We (ie my husband, myself and
our three children) live in Alberta and have no intention of moving and the
green card would be purely for work purposes. He works in the US approx 180
days per year, including offshore and land rigs. What would the
ramifications be of him acquiring a green card while still being a Canadian
resident.
Also, if we were to phone for a consultation what information should we have
ready.
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david ingram replies:
A green card has an immense advantage to your husband and, in my opinion, he
should go for it.  The reason is that "with a green card", your husband is
entitled to change employers at will and if one of your children should want
to work in the US, your husband can get the documentation for that child a
lot easier than your child can get it themselves.
For him to have a green card and keep it active, he would have to be sure to
be in the USA more than six months a year.
Also, his present H1 or L1 visa will eventually expire (they have a shelf
life of 7 or eight years although they can be extended longer if he proves
he is not in the US for full years) and he could be out of work for that
company and I expect that the green card is more likely to keep him working
than coast guard regulations.  I likely have a dozen people working out of
Sulphur City in the Texas Gulf and none of them have been told to get a
green card at this moment.
I would charge you $401.25 an hour inc GST for a phone consultation and you
should both be on the phone at the same time.  If necessary, he can be in
Texas and you in Alberta through my phone system.
You might also want to try for a free quick answer on the Sunday morning
program.  Unfortunately, your plight does not affect enough of our listeners
for us to devote much time to it "for free".
Answers to this and other similar  questions can be obtained free on Air
every Sunday morning.
Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth
Management and I, David Ingram  host a LIVE talk show called "ITS YOUR
MONEY"
Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the internet
at
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for more information.
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