An EB1 visa, also known as an extraordinary ability green card, is an employment-based visa category that allows foreign nationals with extraordinary abilities, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational managers and executives or managers to live and work in the United States.
The EB-1 visa is the first preference of the EB visa categories (the categories range from EB-1 to EB-5). If granted, these employment-based visas grant permanent residency, meaning you will receive a Green Card and be able to stay in the United States indefinitely under that green card status. You will also be eligible for U.S. Citizenship after 5 years of continuous residence as a green card holder.
In an environment where immigration delays are becoming more and more common, another advantages of the EB1 visa is that applicants usually have the shortest wait time of all green card applicants. In fact, The Scott Law Firm recently obtained an EB1 visa for a client in only 10 days!
You may be eligible for an employment-based, first-preference visa if you are a noncitizen of extraordinary ability, an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager. Each occupational category has certain requirements that must be met:
- Extraordinary Ability. You must be able to demonstrate extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim.
- Outstanding Professors and Researchers. You must demonstrate international recognition for your outstanding achievements in a particular academic field. You must have at least 3 years of experience in teaching or research in that academic area. You must be entering the United States in order to pursue tenure or tenure track teaching or a comparable research position at a university, institution of higher education, or private employer.
- Certain Multinational Manager or Executive. You must have been employed outside the United States for at least 1 year in the 3 years preceding the petition or the most recent lawful nonimmigrant admission if you are already working for the U.S. petitioning employer. The U.S. petitioning employer must have been doing business for at least 1 year, have a qualifying relationship to the entity you worked for outside the U.S., and intend to employ you in a managerial or executive capacity.
The experienced immigration attorneys at the Scott Law Firm can help you to determine if you qualify for an EB1 visa and to help you gather the information and evidence necessary in order to demonstrate such.
If you or a loved one think you may qualify for an EB1 visa, or if you are interested in learning about your employment-based immigration options in general, contact the Scott Law Firm today!