{"id":1851,"date":"2025-01-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eaganimmigration.com\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-eb-1a-visa-a-guide-to-answer-all-your-questions\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:59:11","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-eb-1a-visa-a-guide-to-answer-all-your-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eaganimmigration.com\/en\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-eb-1a-visa-a-guide-to-answer-all-your-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about the EB-1A visa: a guide to answer all your questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\nBy Natalie McQuilkin\u00a0<\/strong>\n\nAre you a foreign national with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics? Have you received national or international awards or acclaim for your success in your field? <\/i>Are you interested in obtaining lawful permanent residency in the United States? <\/strong>\n\nStart your case evaluation here.<\/a>\n<\/strong>\n

What is the EB-1A green card?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\nDesigned to accommodate those with extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education, business, or athletics, the EB-1A visa requires you to provide evidence for the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n
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  1. You meet the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) criteria for extraordinary ability<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. You plan to continue your work in your field once you come to the United States<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Your presence and work in the U.S. will substantially benefit the country<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThis is a <\/span>self-petition green card<\/span><\/b>, meaning that <\/span>you do not need an employer to sponsor you \u2013 you can apply for the green card on your own by providing the necessary evidence USCIS requires.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nBefore we dive into the application process for the EB-1A, let\u2019s break down what each of these requirements means.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

        Evidence of Extraordinary Ability<\/b><\/h4>\nTo meet the requirements for the EB-1A green card, USCIS requires you provide evidence that you have extraordinary ability in your field. You can do this in two ways:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n
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        1. Provide evidence that you have been nationally or internationally recognized through an award or prize and have sustained national or international acclaim, or<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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          1. Meet three of 10 USCIS criteria, listed further below.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            National and International Acclaim<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\nTo prove you have national or international acclaim, you can submit evidence that you have received a major award, such as the Nobel Peace Prize, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, or an Olympic medal. Other examples include industry-specific awards, such as a National Book Award, the National Medal of Science, a Grammy, or an Emmy.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAlong with providing evidence that you have a national or international award is proving that you have \u201csustained\u201d your acclaim over time. To <\/span><\/b>USCIS explains<\/span><\/a> this means you still have a major level of acclaim in your field when you apply for the EB-1A. So, if you haven\u2019t been active in a field that you were once prestigious in, you wouldn\u2019t have maintained your level of acclaim and would not be eligible for the EB-1A.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

            Meeting Other Criteria<\/b><\/h4>\nIf you don\u2019t have a national or international award or haven\u2019t sustained your acclaim in your field, don\u2019t worry<\/span>. <\/span><\/i><\/b>You can be eligible for the EB-1A green card if you meet<\/span> three of the 10 following criteria<\/span><\/b> USCIS requires<\/span><\/a> for extraordinary ability:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n