If your research is recognized internationally and a U.S. university or research employer wants to keep you permanently, EB-1B is a direct route to a green card. We help you and your employer's petition team present that record clearly.
Requirements
EB-1B is built for academic and research careers. Before the criteria come into play, the petition has to establish three foundations.
Your achievements in a specific academic field are recognized as outstanding beyond your own institution and beyond one country. The six criteria are how you prove it.
You have at least three years of teaching or research experience in that field, documented with letters from current or former employers that describe your role and dates.
A U.S. employer offers you a tenured or tenure-track teaching position, or a comparable permanent research position, and files the petition on your behalf.
Universities, research institutes and qualifying private employers can all petition. A private employer generally needs to show it employs at least three full-time researchers and has documented accomplishments in its field.
The six criteria
USCIS looks for evidence in at least two of these six categories, then weighs the record as a whole to decide whether you are recognized internationally as outstanding.
Recognition for outstanding achievement in your academic field, judged by peers.
Evidence: best paper awards, early-career research prizes, named fellowships, with proof of who judged and how selective they are.
Associations that admit members based on their accomplishments, not a fee or a form.
Evidence: elected fellowships or senior grades, with the bylaws that set the admission standard.
Professional publications written by others that discuss your research, not simply cite it.
Evidence: review articles, science journalism or trade coverage centered on your findings, with author, date and outlet.
Serving as a judge of others' work in your field or a closely related one, alone or on a panel.
Evidence: peer review invitations and confirmations, editorial board roles, grant panels, thesis committees outside your lab.
Research or scholarly work that has influenced how others in the field think or work.
Evidence: independent expert letters, citation context, adoption of your methods, patents or tools others build on.
Books or articles in scholarly journals with international circulation in your field.
Evidence: peer-reviewed papers and books, with journal standing and how your work has been received.
Most researchers can point to publications and peer review. Meeting two criteria opens the door; the petition still has to show that, taken together, your record sets you apart internationally. That means explaining significance, not just listing items.
EB-1B vs EB-1A
Both are first-preference green cards. The main difference is who files and how high the bar is set.
| EB-1B | EB-1A | |
|---|---|---|
| Who files | Your U.S. employer | You can self-petition |
| Job offer | Permanent research or tenure-track offer required | Not required |
| Standard | Internationally recognized as outstanding in an academic field | Sustained acclaim, among the small percentage at the top of any field |
| Criteria | At least 2 of 6 | A one-time major achievement, or at least 3 of 10 |
| Experience | At least 3 years in teaching or research | No minimum stated |
If your employer is ready to file, EB-1B is often the more natural fit for an academic record. If you want independence from a single employer, read about the EB-1A self-petition or the EB-2 National Interest Waiver. Many researchers weigh all three.
Two sides of one petition
An EB-1B case is a joint effort. Knowing who owns which piece keeps the process calm and on schedule.
How we help
We work with you and alongside your employer's people, so the case reads as one clear argument.
The petition is reviewed, signed and filed by an independent licensed immigration attorney, either your partner attorney through us or counsel your employer already works with.
We map your record to each criterion, identify the strongest two or three, and flag anything that needs more documentation.
We help you choose independent recommenders, interview them, and draft letters for their review and signature. How we prepare letters
We give HR or faculty affairs a clear checklist of employer documents and keep both sides working from the same timeline.
We draft the petition narrative and organize indexed exhibits, ready for attorney review, signature and filing, with RFE support if USCIS asks for more.
For researchers and scientists
Our researchers guide compares EB-1B with EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1A, and shows how to present impact beyond citation counts.
FAQ
Short answers to what professors, researchers and their employers ask most.
No. EB-1B requires a U.S. employer to petition for you based on a qualifying permanent offer. If you want to file on your own, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW both allow self-petitions.
The offer itself must be tenured, tenure-track or a comparable permanent research position, which a time-limited postdoc usually is not. Postdoctoral research can still count toward your three years of experience in some cases. We review the specifics in your consultation.
Yes, if the role is a permanent research position and the company can show it employs at least three full-time researchers and has documented accomplishments in its field.
No. EB-1B petitions do not require a labor certification, which is one reason employers often prefer it for faculty and senior researchers who qualify.
Citations help, but they are context, not a criterion on their own. Strong cases explain who uses your work and why it matters, usually through independent expert letters and evidence of adoption.
That works well. We can focus on your side of the case, the evidence, letters and narrative, and hand a well-organized package to the attorney who will review, sign and file.
In one call we review your record against the six criteria and outline the path with your employer.
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