The EB-1 visa is an employment-based permanent residency visa in the United States. It is intended for "priority workers" who are foreign nationals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers, or multinational managers or executives. The EB-1 visa is highly regarded and does not require a PERM labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. There are three subcategories within the EB-1 visa:
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EB-1A: Extraordinary Ability - This category is for individuals who can provide evidence of sustained national or international acclaim in their field, achieve recognition and prominence in their field of expertise, and provide evidence of extensive documentation highlighting their achievements.
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EB-1B: Outstanding Professors and Researchers - This category is for individuals who are recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic field, have at least three years of experience in teaching or research in that field, and have a job offer from a U.S. employer.
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EB-1C: Multinational Managers or Executives - This category is for individuals who have worked for a qualifying foreign employer for at least one year in the past three years and are being transferred to the U.S. to work for a U.S. employer that is a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch of the foreign employer.
To be eligible for the EB-1 visa, applicants must meet certain criteria based on their field of expertise. The first step is filing Form I-140 (“Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker”), along with supporting documents to establish the applicants eligibility for an EB-1 visa. Once the I-140 petition is approved, applicants can proceed with either adjusting their status if they are already in the U.S., or they can apply using consular processing at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad.
