US Government Lists 10 Conditions Foreigners Must Meet to Qualify for Green Card Under EB-1A Route
- The USCIS outlined the requirements foreign nationals must satisfy to obtain a green card via the EB-1A extraordinary ability route
- Applicants must either present evidence of a major internationally recognised achievement or satisfy at least 3 of 10 criteria set by the immigration authority
- The EB-1A pathway stands apart from other immigration routes because it does not require a job offer or employer sponsorship
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The United States has outlined the requirements foreign nationals must meet to qualify for a Green Card through the EB-1A extraordinary ability pathway.
The route is designed for individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in areas including the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.
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Unlike several other employment-based immigration routes, EB-1A applicants can self-petition without a job offer or employer sponsorship.
USCIS outlines 10 criteria for EB-1A applicants
To qualify for the EB-1A classification, applicants must provide evidence of a major internationally recognised achievement, such as an Oscar, Pulitzer Prize or Olympic Medal.
Alternatively, applicants must satisfy at least three of 10 criteria set out by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The 10 criteria are:
- Receipt of nationally or internationally recognised prizes or awards for excellence.
- Membership of associations that require outstanding achievement from their members.
- Published material about the applicant in professional or major trade publications, or other major media.
- Participation as a judge of the work of others, either individually or as part of a panel.
- Original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic or business-related contributions of major significance.
- Authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications.
- Display of the applicant's work at artistic exhibitions or showcases.
- Performing a leading or critical role for distinguished organisations.
- Commanding a high salary or other remuneration significantly above others in the field.
- Commercial success in the performing arts.
EB-1 category has two other immigration routes
The EB-1 category also covers two other groups of foreign nationals: outstanding professors and researchers, as well as multinational managers and executives.
For the outstanding professors and researchers route, applicants must demonstrate international recognition in their academic field and have at least three years of teaching or research experience.
They must also meet at least two of six documentary criteria and have a formal job offer from a US employer.
The third route is for multinational managers and executives who have worked abroad for at least one year during the three years before applying.
The US employer must have been operating for at least one year and intend to employ the applicant in a managerial or executive position.
EB-1 applicants must submit Form I-140
Applicants under all three EB-1 classifications must submit Form I-140, Petition for Alien Worker, to USCIS.
However, the EB-1A route is the only one of the three that allows eligible applicants to self-petition without an employer.
None of the three EB-1 categories requires labour certification.
Once an I-140 petition is approved, the applicant's spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also qualify to apply for US entry as eligible derivative beneficiaries under the relevant immigrant classifications.
US introduces new website for visa
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that President Donald Trump had unveiled America.gov, a new AI-powered platform designed to replace thousands of separate US government websites.
The platform allowed users to type questions in plain language and receive instant official responses without navigating complex government portals.
Visa and passport queries were among the key federal services the administration had highlighted as priority use cases at launch.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
