Somerville Site Of Session For Employers, Employees Seeking Green Card

SOMERVILLE, MA — Pathway for Immigration Workers (PIW) is hosting an information session in Somerville this week for small employers and their low-skilled workers who are looking to apply for a green card.

The session will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at East Sommerville Community School, located at 50 Cross St. Information at the session will be interpreted in Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole, with additional languages available upon request. Registration is available online by emailing info@myimmigrantpathway.org. Walk-ins also are welcome.

"Everyone is welcome to the information session. I'll be sure to answer everyone's immigration-related questions," said Leslie Ditrani, PIW's executive director, told Patch.

Started in May of 2022, Cambridge-based PIW assists low-skilled workers in employment-sponsored lawful permanent residence applications and represents employers who otherwise would not have the means to sponsor a minimum wage position for a green card.

According to PIW, its services include an initial assessment of the options for the employee. If appropriate, PIW then will represent the employer, providing legal services at no charge. The employer will be responsible for some application fees.

"Many people are in the U.S. lawfully and may be eligible to adjust status to lawful permanent resident or to consular process an immigrant visa," PIW said in a statement. "However, they have no avenue to a green card because they are in low-skilled, minimum wage occupations where employers are unable to spend the legal fees necessary to sponsor them."

Many of these workers have temporary statuses or permission to remain in the U.S., but they lack a pathway to secure immigration status, according to PIW.

"We aim to address this problem by providing pro bono legal services to the small local employers who are providing jobs but cannot afford green card sponsorship," PIW said in a statement.

Attendees who looking to have information at the upcoming session translated into languages other than Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole, can email somerviva@somervillema.gov or call 311 at 617-666-3311.