Applying for permanent residency and working on H1B are two different things. How long will you need to be in H1B before applying for a green card? EB1 case - You don't need any sponsor if you qualify for EB1 category. You have to be internationally renown scientist/researcher to qualify for this category. Just petition for yourself. Visa number is currently available. No need to waste a single day. EB2 case - You need to persuade your employer to apply for green card. Visa number is currently available - principally you don't have to wait if you already qualify for this category and your employer is ready to sponsor you. Normally MS/Ph.D. plus three years of experience is required in this category. EB3 case - Visa number is currently backlogged by about 4 years. Even your employer is ready to sponsor, you can't file for green card. However, if you should start the process as soon as possible to be in the priority list. If your employer gets labor certification approval (PERM) for you, the date of PERM approval will be your priority date for future filing. H1B is only a transition before applying green card. It allows you to work for the H1B sponsoring agency for upto 6 years (You can extend in annual increment if you have already applied for green card and it's still pending for at least one year at the end of this 6th year). H1B is dual intent status and even if your green card application is denied, you can still remain in status if you have maintained the H1B througout. Here are few resources. - http://www.uscis.gov - http://www.immigration.com - http://www.shusterman.com - http://www.murthy.com - http://www.usabal.com