Overview

The EB-1 extraordinary ability classification is for people who are recognized as being at the very top of their field of business, science, arts, education or athletics and who are coming to the United States to continue work in that field. Their achievements must have been recognized in the field through extensive documentation.

Advantage

• Freedom. It is not necessary for the applicant to have a permanent job offer. If the applicant is employed, the employer does not need to get involved, since the applicant can self sponsor based on his education, experience and achievements. As result, the applicant does not have to stay with the same employer while going through the green card process.
• No Labor Certification Required. This classification is critical for people who wish to bypass the lengthy labor certification process. Extraordinary Ability petitions take anywhere from one month to about eight months to get approved.

Services We Provide

EB1 Extraordinary Ability is our specialty! We have been working on Extraordinary Ability cases for nearly two decades. The success rate for the past 16 years is over 92%. Please contact us for a free evaluation by emailing your full CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The usual progression from EB1 Extraordinary Ability to Green Card

Please click here to see a flowchart demonstration of the process from the beginning to receiving a Green Card.

Read More about EB1 Extraordinary Ability

Could EB1 Extraordinary Ability Work for You?

• Do you have extraordinary ability in business, science, arts, education or athletics?
• Do you possess sustained national or international acclaim in your field?
• Do you plan to work in the United States in your area of extraordinary ability?

Main Qualifying Criteria

To establish eligibility, you must demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and that your achievements have been recognized in the field of expertise by showing: (1) that you have received a major internationally recognized award, similar to a Nobel Prize; or (2) that you meet at least three of the ten requirements listed below and all your evidence, when evaluated together, shows that you are among the small percentage of individuals that have risen to the very top of your field. If you have not received a major internationally recognized award, you must meet at least 3 of the 10 requirements below:

(1) receipt of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards; (2) membership in an association in the field, which requires outstanding achievement of their members, as judged by recognized national or international experts; (3) published material about the person in professional or major trade publications or other major media; (4) participation as a judge of the work of others; (5) evidence of original scientific, scholastic, artistic, athletic or business-related contributions of major significance; (6) authorship of scholarly articles in the field; (7) artistic showcases or exhibitions; (8) performance in a leading or cultural role for organizations or establishments that have a distinguished reputation; (9) high salary or remuneration in relation to others in the field;(10) commercial success in the performing arts.

The typical Documents for EB1 Extraordinary Ability Petition

• Documentation of award or prize received
• Copies of published journal articles or book chapters; if possible, collect evidence to prove the ranking of the journal
• Evidence of citations of your articles
• Copies of documentation regarding any patents which you may hold
• Documentation of peer-reviewed presentations
• Evidence of invitations you may have received to participate in conferences, submit papers or to review work of other scientists, including documentation of participation as a reviewer, judge, on a panel or individually of work of others in the same field
• Evidence of media coverage of your work
• Information on elected/nominated professional membership
• Support letters
• Full CV and List of publications
• Other evidence that may help establish your "international/national acclaim”

Additional EB1 Extraordinary Ability Resources

• Kazarian v USCIS, 596 F.3d 1115 (9th Cir. 2010)
  Dr. Kazarian, a theoretical physicist, originally filed a petition with the USCIS California Service Center in the EB1A Extraordinary Ability category. His petition was denied, so he sought to overturn the decision through a series of appeals. The attached decision from the Ninth Circuit Court introduced an addition to the USCIS adjudicator field manual that has had a profound impact on how USCIS evaluates certain employment-based immigrant visa petitions.
• USCIS Policy Memorandum released on December 22, 2010: Evaluation of Evidence Submitted with Certain Form I-140 Petitions
• Recommendations to Improve the Quality in Extraordinary Ability and Other Employment-Based Petition, released on December 29, 2011