EB-1 Immigrant Visas

The First Preference

The employment-based first preference category, abbreviated as EB1 or “EB-1,” includes three subcategories, none of which require labor certification, and one of which allows self-sponsorship.

Aliens of Extraordinary Ability – “EB-1(A)” or “E-11”

This visa category is a path to a green card for those who can demonstrate that they have risen to the very top of their field of endeavor, as demonstrated by evidence of sustained national or international acclaim, who will continue to work in that field in the U.S.

A green card based on extraordinary ability requires either a major, internationally recognized award (such as a Nobel Prize or Academy Award), or at least three other types of evidence of accomplishments and renown, such as awards of lesser national or international prominence, membership in associations that require outstanding achievement, press coverage about the foreign worker’s professional accomplishments, service on a prize committee or editorial board as a judge of the work of others in the field, authorship of original scholarly publications, other major original contributions to a field of endeavor, service in a leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation, display at artistic exhibitions, high compensation in relation to others in the field, and other types of evidence, depending on relevance to the field of endeavor and how the foreign worker has established his or her renown.

This category does not require a job offer, but if the beneficiary opts for self-sponsorship, then evidence must be provided to show how he or she will work in the U.S. in that field of endeavor.

Related Topics:

• How to Build Your Case for Extraordinary Ability
• How to Handle RFEs for the Extraordinary Worker

Outstanding Researchers & Professors – “EB-1(B)” or “E-12”

This visa category is for researchers and professors who can show that their work has had a wide influence in the academic or scientific community. It requires either a major, internationally recognized award (such as a Nobel Prize), or at least two other types of evidence of accomplishments and renown.

It also requires a full-time and permanent, ongoing job offer from a U.S. sponsor, including researchers in any institution that has at least three full-time research staff positions, and professors at any institution of higher education in a tenured or tenure-track position. Researchers in grant funded positions that are renewable annually may qualify, depending on the assumptions involved in the renewal process.

Multinational Managers & Executives – “EB-1(C)” or “E-13”

This visa category is for people assuming a full-time and permanent position as a senior manager or executive at a company in the U.S., who have worked for a related parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch of that company outside the U.S. in a similar managerial or executive capacity for at least one year, if the foreign entity is still doing business abroad and retains its relationship to the U.S. company.

The manager or executive must have held the managerial or executive position with the related company abroad for at least one full year within the past three years, or, if already working for the multinational company inside the United States, in the three years prior to entry as a non-immigrant.

Feel free to contact Karin Wolman for more information about EB-1 immigrant visas.