Yes but your employer needs to sponsor you for a green card, and they don't really have any incentive to do so (since once you have the green card you don't have to work for them anymore).
I think this sounds theoretically reasonable, but in reality it's not like this:
- The cost of sponsoring someone for a green card ($50k?) is low compared to engineering salaries.
- Many companies like Google have great retention and the probability that an employee leaves after getting green card is low.
- Companies that are worried about retention often have employees sign a reimbursement agreement when starting the GC process. Something like, if you leave within 2 years of getting the GC you pay a prorated portion of the legal fees.
- In a tight labor market, GC sponsorship is another benefit like compensation, and companies offer it to hire good people. Over the last few years companies like Amazon have changed their GC policy to sponsor folks from day 1 of employment in order to hire people for whom a GC is that important.
Yes, you do need to work for them because if you become a PR through employment then jump then it was always viewed as fraud. The generally recommended strategy was to stay with the employer for one year after the PR status is granted.
- The cost of sponsoring someone for a green card ($50k?) is low compared to engineering salaries.
- Many companies like Google have great retention and the probability that an employee leaves after getting green card is low.
- Companies that are worried about retention often have employees sign a reimbursement agreement when starting the GC process. Something like, if you leave within 2 years of getting the GC you pay a prorated portion of the legal fees.
- In a tight labor market, GC sponsorship is another benefit like compensation, and companies offer it to hire good people. Over the last few years companies like Amazon have changed their GC policy to sponsor folks from day 1 of employment in order to hire people for whom a GC is that important.