What is an EB-1?
- EB-1 is the first preference category to obtain a green card. The EB-1 category is divided into 3 different occupational categories, each having their own requirements. The 3 categories are: EB-1A Persons of Extraordinary Ability; EB-1B Outstanding Professors and Researchers; and EB-1C Multinational Executives and Managers. 28.6% of employment-based green cards annually available are allocated to the EB-1 category.
EB-1B Outstanding Professors and Researchers
For noncitizens who are deemed to be Outstanding Researchers or Professors, the EB-1B Green Card Category is a highly sought-after immigration category. This category is a component of the Status-Based Green Card (EB) program, which offers permanent residency to anyone who meet certain requirements.
Holders of an EB-1B visa are acknowledged as authorities in their industries and have significantly advanced their specialties. These people have a track record of exceptional accomplishments and praise from the larger academic community.
The “Academic Nobel Prize” might serve as an example for the EB-1B Green Card Category. The EB-1B Green Card is the most prestigious immigration category for people who have made major contributions to their areas, just as the Nobel Prize is the most prestigious award a researcher or professor can get. Officials in charge of immigration regard the people who receive the EB-1B Green Cards to be the greatest in their respective industries and to be top talent.
An individual must be able to show they have produced significant original contributions to their field of study in order to be eligible for the EB-1B Green Card. They must also offer proof of their ongoing peer recognition and national or worldwide acclaim, such as substantial publications, citations, or recognition from academic organizations.
- An applicant for EB-1B must demonstrate they have had international recognition for their outstanding achievements in their particular academic field. The applicant must have at least 3 years of experience teaching or in research in their particular field and have a job offer from an U.S. employer to pursue a tenured, tenured track teaching position or a comparable research position. The applicant must further provide documentation showing that they meet at least 2 of the following 6 criteria:
- Evidence of receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement
- Evidence of membership in associations that require their members to demonstrate outstanding achievement
- Evidence of published material in professional publications written by others about the applicant’s work in the academic field
- Evidence of participate, either on a panel or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied academic field
- Evidence of original scientific or scholarly research contributions in the field
- Evidence of authorship of scholarly books or articles (in scholarly journals with international circulation) in the field
Obtaining an EB-1 Visa
- A benefit of filing under any of the EB-1 preference categories is that your employer is not required to go through the PERM Labor Certification process to test the U.S. labor market, and can file the I-140 petition at the start, which allows for obtaining the green card faster. The I-140 petitions for EB-1B and EB-1C must still be sponsored by the employer, however the applicants’ themselves can self-petition if filing under EB-1A. Foreign professors and researchers who have made significant contributions to their disciplines should take advantage of the EB-1B Green Card Category. This category acknowledges the remarkable qualities and accomplishments of these people and offers a route to citizenship in the United States. An excellent way to describe this immigration category’s prominence and stringent standards is the “Academic Nobel Prize” analogy, which also underlines the outstanding qualities of those who are granted an EB-1B Green Card.
If you are in need of a US work visa or permanent residency, speak with one of our immigration lawyers. Please contact us online, call our Houston business immigration attorney office directly at 713-953-7787, or schedule a consultation.