The EB1b visa is a green card for a professor or researcher who is internationally recognized as outstanding in their academic field. The professor or researcher must have at least 3 years of experience in teaching or researching in their specific academic field and they must be sponsored by a qualified U.S. employer with a job offer that is either for a tenured (or tenure-tracked) teaching position or a permanent researcher position. Under INA §203(b)(1)(B), 8 USC §1153(b)(1)(B), the EB1b green card is a sub-category of the first preference (priority workers) employment-based immigrant visas and it is one of the only few visas that do not require a PERM labor certification.
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A person qualified for an EB1b green card must be able to show that (1) they are well-known on an international level for being outstanding in their specific academic field, (2) have at least 3 years of experience in teaching or researching in that field, and (3) they have a job offer for a tenured or tenure-tracked teaching position, or a comparable permanent researching position from a sponsoring employer such as a university, institution of higher education, or private employer that employs at least 3 full-time researchers and is considered accomplished in the academic field.
The original statutory wording for the EB1b green card qualifications can be found in INA §203(b)(1)(B), 8 USC §1153(b)(1)(B).
The EB1b green card was designed for persons who are professors or researchers that can show they stand apart from others in the academic community by their eminence and distinction which is based on being well-known on an international level.
In other words, EB1b green cards are reserved and granted to the group of professors or researchers who are the most professionally accomplished in their academic field. Because fewer people are qualified for the EB1b green cards, there are usually less visa availability backlog problems which makes this one of the fastest ways to obtain an employment-based green card.
The teaching positions offered must be a tenured or a tenure-tracked position to qualify for the EB1b green card petition.
The research position must be at least a permanent offer, which means the offer is one where the employment has indefinite or unlimited duration and there is an expectation for continued employment unless there is good cause for termination. The offer can be usually be considered as permanent when there is no predetermined end date set for employment in the offer, or when the employer can show that they have the intention of continuing to seek funding and that there is a reasonable expectation that funding will continue such as by multiple renewals in the past for long-term research projects that are extended.
The EB1b green card has three main requirements that need to be satisfied: evidence must be provided to the USCIS to show that the (1) the person is Internationally recognized as outstanding in a specific academic field, (2) has at least 3 years of teaching or research in that field, and (3) a job offer for a tenured or tenure-tracked teaching position, or a comparable permanent researching position from a sponsoring employer such as a university, institution of higher education, or a department, division, or institute of a private employer that employs at least 3 full-time researchers and is considered accomplished in the academic field.
To prove that the professor or researcher is recognized internationally as outstanding in their academic field, the person would have to satisfy at least 2 out of 6 criteria listed in 8 CFR §204.5(i)(3)(i).
The evidence provided to the USCIS for the EB1b green card must show:
(A) The person is recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic field by satisfying at least 2 out of 6 criteria listed below:
*** Any other comparable evidence can be provided if the 6 criteria listed above cannot be readily applied.
AND
(B) The person has at least three years of teaching or research in the specific academic field.
AND
(C) Job offer for a tenure or tenure-track teaching position or permanent research position:
The original statutory wording for the EB1b green card evidentiary requirements can be found in 8 CFR §204.5(i)(3)(i).
The total time an EB1b green card takes is consisted of the processing time for (1) the EB1b green card petition (Form I-140) with the USCIS and the (2) the change of status when the person’s priority date becomes current by filing the Form I-485 application if adjusting status within the United States or the DS-260 application if doing consular processing at a U.S. consulate or embassy located outside the United States.
Factors that influence the processing time usually include but is not limited to where the person (or spouse) was born, if there was any Request for Evidence (“RFE”) issued, and the caseload of the USCIS service center and the U.S. consulate or embassy.
A rough estimate for the Form I-140 petition is around 6 to 12 months. However, premium processing (Form I-907) is available for the Form I-140 petition part of the EB1b green cards. Premium processing is an optional expedited service where the USCIS guarantees that the case will be processed within 15 calendar days (not business days). When a notice of intent to deny (NOID) or a request for evidence (RFE) is issued, a new 15 calendar day will start when the USCIS receives a response from the applicant. If the USCIS fails to process within the time frame, a refund of the service fee will be given and the case will continue to be expedited. Please note that USCIS’s guaranteed response may be an approval notice, denial notice, notice of intent to deny (NOID), request for evidence (RFE), or open an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation.
The current premium processing fee for the EB1b green card is $2500 USD and it can be requested when the original petition is submitted to the USCIS or an upgrade to premium processing can be done when the case is pending.
Priority Date for Status Change
There are two parts in the processing time for a change of status: (1) the time to when the person’s priority date becomes current which can range from no wait time (which is usual) to multiple years (which is rare for EB1b visas) depending on what country the person or their spouse was born in, and (2) the time to process Form I-485 for adjustment of status or DS-260 for consular processing which a rough estimate can range from 4 to 15 months.
After the USCIS approves the EB1b green card petition (Form I-140), the person will then wait for their priority date to become current to apply for a change of status into a green card holder (lawful permanent resident). The priority date for EB1b green card petitions is the date that the USCIS receives their immigration petition (Form I-140). For people from most countries, their EB1b green card petitions will usually have a current priority date at the time of filing. For people from China and India, the wait time for their priority date under an EB1b green card petition to become current is relatively short compared to other green card visa categories.
The reason as to why there are different wait times for a priority date to become current is due to the total limit on how many green cards (immigrant visas) can be given out each year and a separate limit on how many green cards are allotted for each country. For people born in certain countries (based on country of birth and not country of citizenship) such as China or India, there is usually not enough available visas (green cards) each year due to high-volume immigration from those countries so they would have to wait for their visas (green cards) to become available which would be based on when their priority date becomes current in the monthly Visa Bulletin released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
Cross-Chargeability
Cross-chargeability is often used when the person’s country of birth has a visa backlog problem but the country of birth for the person’s spouse does not. The person born in the country that has a visa availability backlog problem will use the cross-chargeability rule to be charged against (use the quota of) the spouse’s country instead (this usually results in obtaining the green card much earlier). For example, a person born in China (which usually has a visa availability backlog problem) with a spouse born in South Korea (which does not have a visa availability backlog problem): both of them can use the quota of South Korea instead of China when they apply to change into their green card visa status. It does not matter which person is the primary person pursuing the green card petition.
Minor children can be charged to either parent’s country of birth, or in some circumstances the child can be charged to a third country that neither parent was born in or had residence in when the child was born. For example, both parents were born in Japan but their child was born in China during a temporary vacation there: the child can be charged against the quota of Japan. Under most circumstances, derivative beneficiaries (such as the spouse or children of green card visa applicants) cannot be eligible to apply to change into their green card visa status before the principal green card visa applicant.
Please note that parents cannot use their minor children’s country of birth under the cross-chargeability rule. For example, both parents were born in China and their child was born in Japan. The parents cannot use Japan which is their child’s country of birth and would still need to use China which is their own country of birth to wait for their green card.
Changing into the green card visa status (the lawful permanent resident immigrant visa status) is the final step in being able to work freely and live permanently in the United States. There are two ways to obtain the green card visa status: adjustment of status and consular processing.
Adjustment of status is usually for a person who is already in the United States with a valid nonimmigrant visa status and has maintained a lawful visa status throughout their time within the United States. On the other hand, consular processing is for a person living outside the United States or for a person who is ineligible in adjusting their status in the United States.
For a person who is residing overseas (outside the United States) or a person who is ineligible for an adjustment of status with the Form I-485 application, consular processing must be done to obtain the EB1b green card visa status (i.e., lawful permanent resident). Consular processing usually involves the person attending an in-person interview at the U.S. consulate or embassy located in their home country. In certain circumstances, a person can do consular processing in another country as a “Third Country National.”
After the interview approval at the U.S. consulate or embassy, the person would have to be admitted entry into the United States by the CBP officer at the border (usually at the airport). In other words, the person would have to physically enter the United States after their interview approval as the final step for their EB1b green card visa status to be activated.
For a person who is already in the United States with a valid nonimmigrant visa, there are usually two options available to obtain the EB1b green card visa status (Lawful Permanent Resident):
(1) Adjustment of Status: this is the more commonly chosen option where the person would file a Form I-485 application to adjust their status without leaving the United States. The person would attend an in-person interview at a local USCIS office in the United States and the interview approval would serve as the final step for their EB1b green card visa status to be activated.
The adjustment of status application (Form I-485) can be filed when the person’s priority date becomes current in the Visa Bulletin which means that there are no backlogs in visa availability for the person’s country of birth (not country of citizenship). This can happen while the green card petition (Form I-140) is still pending (i.e., before approval) with the USCIS or after the green card petition (Form I-140) is approved by the USCIS. It can also happen in concurrent filings (Form I-140 and Form I-485 sent together) where the person’s priority date is already current at the time of filing the green card petition (Form I-140) to the USCIS.
When the adjustment of status application (Form I-485) is filed, applications for the employment authorization document (Form I-765, commonly known as the “EAD card”) and the travel document (Form I-131, commonly known as “Advance Parole”) can also be filed at the same time.
The EAD card allows unrestricted employment where a person can change their job freely and can legally work for any employer in the United States, unlike a work visa such as an H1B visa which restricts a person to work for a specific employer in the United States.
Advance parole allows a person to travel internationally while their adjustment of status is still pending. If a person has a pending adjustment of status application (Form I-485) with the USCIS but leaves the United States without advance parole and does not have a certain valid nonimmigrant visa status (H1B visa, H4 visa, L1 visa, L2 visa, K3 visa, K4 visa, V visa) that allows international travel, their adjustment of status will be considered abandoned.
(2) Consular Processing: this is usually chosen if a person cannot show that they have maintained their lawful visa status in the United States or when the processing time for consular processing is much faster than the adjustment of status.
When the EB1b green card petition (Form I-140) is approved, the person’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under the age of 21) may be eligible to enter the United States under the E-14 or E-15 immigrant status, respectively.
The EB1b green card is for professors or researchers who are internationally recognized for being outstanding in their academic field to legally work and live in the United States. The professor or researcher under the EB1b green card petition must have at least 3 years of experience in teaching or researching in the specific academic field and a job offer for a tenured (or tenure-tracked) teaching position or a comparable permanent researcher position. The job offer can only come from a qualified U.S. sponsoring employer that is a university, institution of higher education, or a private employer that employs at least 3 full-time researchers and is considered accomplished in the academic field.
The EB1b green card petition is one of the fastest ways to become a lawful permanent resident in the United States. This is partly due to the fact that fewer people qualify for an EB1b green card and the people who are approved usually have current priority dates avoiding visa backlogs as they are given first priority when the green cards are issued each year. Another reason as to why the EB1b green card petition is fast is that it does not need to go through a lengthy PERM labor certification that most employment-based green card visa categories require.
The EB1b green card petition requires a sponsoring employer. It cannot be self-sponsored which means the person cannot start and pay for the EB1b green card petition by themselves. The sponsoring employer in an EB1b green card petition can only be a university, institution of higher education, or a private employer that is accomplished in the field and employs at least 3 full-time researchers (e.g., a private company with a research department).
For people who qualify for the EB1b green card petition (Outstanding Professor and Researcher), it is possible that the person can also qualify for an EB1a green card petition (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) which is less restrictive as it can be self-sponsored (where the person can pay and start the green card petition by themselves) and it does not require a specific U.S. employer just proof that the person will continue to work in their field of expertise. In some circumstances, it may be beneficial for the person to pursue an EB1a green card petition and an EB1b green card petition at the same time.
For people who do not qualify for the EB1b green card petition yet, the closest alternative would be filing a National Interest Waiver (NIW) with an EB2 green card petition. The EB2 National Interest Waiver green card petition would require the person to have at least a master’s degree (or its equivalent) or have exceptional ability (lower standard than the extraordinary ability in the EB1a green card petition) in the sciences, arts, or business, and the person would also need to show that their work will be able to benefit the United States significantly.
Other alternatives would be the more commonly used employment-based green card petitions such as the regular EB2 green card petitions (Advanced Degree) and the EB3 green card petitions (Professional, Skilled, Other Workers). These types of employment-based green card petitions usually require a sponsoring U.S. employer and a PERM Labor Certification.
If you have an EB1b green card (Outstanding Professors and Researchers) immigration question, please fill out our contact us form or send us an email with some basic information about your background and your immigration needs. We will do our best to respond within 48 hours.
How we can help?
Kylie Huang Law’s immigration attorney will help identify whether the EB1b green card is the appropriate immigrant visa category for the client’s professional background. We will work closely with our client to prepare a convincing case for their EB1b green card petition and we will also strategize on how the EB1b green card petition should be presented to achieve the best chances of approval. It is strongly advised and common practice to retain an immigration attorney for an EB1b green card petition due to the complexities in the immigration process and visa requirements.
What does the typical process look like to retain (hire) us?
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- Fill out the form (with some basic information on what your immigration needs are)
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- Attend scheduled appointment (typically a phone call or zoom meeting)
- Retainment (signing a contract to hire us)
- Start processing case
- Gathering required documents
- Preparing paperwork
- Confirming contents of documents that will be submitted
- Filing the case
- Following up on the status of the case
- Close the case when a final determination is issued
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- Fill out the form (on what your immigration needs are)
- Sign up and log into the client portal to schedule an appointment
- Attend scheduled appointment (typically a phone call or zoom)
- Retainment (signing a contract to hire us)
- Start processing case
- Gathering required documents
- Preparing paperwork
- Confirming contents of documents that will be submitted
- Filing the case
- Following up on the status of the case
- Close the case when a final determination is issued
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- Fill out the form (on what your immigration needs are)
- Sign up and log into the client portal to schedule appointment
- Attend scheduled appointment (typically a phone call or zoom)
- Retainment (hire us)
- Start processing case
- Gathering required documents
- Preparing paperwork
- Confirming content of documents that will be submitted
- Filing the case
- Following up on the case status
- Close the case when a final determination is issued