Immigrant visas are for foreign nationals who intend to live and work permanently in the United States.

EB-1B – 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 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.

EB-1C – 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. petitioner 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.

EB-2

Advanced Degree

The job you apply for must require an advanced degree and you must possess such a degree or its foreign equivalent (a baccalaureate or foreign equivalent degree plus 5 years of post-baccalaureate, progressive work experience in the field). You must meet any other requirements specified on the labor certification as applicable.

Exceptional Ability

You must be able to show exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business. Exceptional ability “means a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered in the sciences, arts, or business.”  You must meet any requirements specified on the labor certification as applicable.

National Interest Waiver

Aliens seeking a national interest waiver are requesting that the Labor Certification be waived because it is in the interest of the United States. Though the jobs that qualify for a national interest waiver are not defined by statute, national interest waivers are usually granted to those who have exceptional ability (see above) and whose employment in the United States would greatly benefit the nation. Those seeking a national interest waiver may self-petition (they do not need an employer to sponsor them) and may file their labor certification directly with USCIS along with their Form I-140, Petition for Alien Worker.

Family of EB-2 Visa Holders

If your I-140 petition is approved, your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 may be eligible to apply for admission to the United States in E-21 and E-22 immigrant status, respectively.

EB-3

Skilled Workers

• You must be able to demonstrate that you possess at least 2 years of job experience, education, or training that meets the job requirements specified on the labor certification.
• Relevant post-secondary education may be considered as training.
• You must be performing work for which qualified workers are not available in the United States.

Professionals

• You must demonstrate that you possess a U.S. baccalaureate or foreign equivalent degree, and that a baccalaureate degree is the normal requirement for entry into the occupation.
• You must be performing work for which qualified workers are not available in the United States.
• Education and experience may not be substituted for a baccalaureate degree.
• You must meet any other requirements specified on the labor certification.

Unskilled Workers (Other Workers)

• You must demonstrate the ability to perform unskilled labor (requiring less than 2 years training or experience), that is not of a temporary or seasonal nature.
• You must be performing work for which qualified workers are not available in the United States.
• You must meet any other requirements specified on the labor certification.

EB-4 – Employment-Based Immigration: Fourth Preference

You may be eligible for an employment-based, fourth preference visa if you are a special immigrant. The following special immigrants are eligible for the fourth preference visa:

• Religious Workers
• Special Immigrant Juveniles
• Broadcasters
• G-4 International Organization or NATO-6 Employees and Their Family Members
• International Employees of the U.S. Government Abroad
• Armed Forces Members
• Panama Canal Zone Employees
• Certain Physicians
• Afghan and Iraqi Translators
• Afghan and Iraqi Nationals Who Have Provided Faith Service in Support of U.S. Operations

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