There are five Employment-Based (EB) visas/green cards denoting preference that gives an individual permanent residency in the United States. The EB visa group of green cards covers various employment-based immigration options.
EB-1 (Employment Based First Preference)
Available to foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in science, arts, education, business, or athletics, outstanding professors or researchers, and multinational executives or managers.
Qualified individuals do not need a job offer but must prove extraordinary ability or achievements in their field.
You must provide evidence showing you are coming to the United States to continue work in this area of expertise.
Available to foreign nationals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability in their field.
Must have either a master’s degree or higher, or a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive experience in your field.
Alternatively, you must demonstrate exceptional ability in your field, which is defined as having a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered in your field. This can be satisfied by letters from employers.
Do not need a job offer from a U.S. employer, but you must undergo a labor certification process to demonstrate that there are no qualified U.S. workers available to fill the position.
Available to foreign nationals with at least two years of experience or training in their profession, or who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Designed for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers who do not qualify for the EB-1 or EB-2 categories.
Skilled workers are defined as those who have at least two years of experience or training in their field, while professionals must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in their field.
Individuals must have a job offer from a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor their application and undergo a labor certification process proving no qualified US workers.
Available to special immigrants who are in a certain category. Those categories include:
Religious workers
Special immigrant juveniles
Certain broadcasters
Certain retired officers or employees of a G-4 international organization or NATO-6 civilian employees and their family members
Members of the U.S. armed forces
Panama Canal company or Canal Zone government employees
Certain physicians licensed and practicing medicine in the U.S.
Noncitizens who have supplied information concerning a criminal organization or enterprise or a terrorist organization, enterprise, or operation (S immigrants)
