EB‑1B Green Card: Criteria, Requirements & How to Qualify

The EB-1B is a pathway to permanent resident status and a Green Card for outstanding professors and researchers. To qualify, you need at least three years of teaching or research experience and a qualifying U.S. job offer. You must also provide evidence that satisfies at least two of six criteria set by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The approval rate for EB-1B petitions remains high, but so does the bar to qualify. A strong petition matches the evidence to the criteria and explains why the record shows international recognition.

What is the EB-1B Green Card?

The EB-1B is an employment-based pathway towards permanent residence for outstanding professors and researchers. It’s one of three subcategories of the EB-1 Green Card, the highest preference category for immigrant work visas. The other two are EB-1A for individuals with extraordinary ability and EB-1C for multinational executives and managers.

Unlike some Green Card categories, the EB-1B doesn’t require PERM labor certification. However, it does require a job offer, and your employer files the petition on your behalf. You cannot self-petition the way EB-1A applicants can.

What are the EB-1B requirements?

To qualify for the EB-1B, you must meet three baseline requirements:

1. At least three years of experience in teaching or research in your academic field.
2. International recognition as outstanding in that field.
3. A qualifying job offer from a U.S. employer.

Three years of teaching or research experience

You need at least three years of experience teaching or doing research in the academic field where you’ll be working. However, USCIS specifies that not all teaching or research counts:

• Experience gained while earning an advanced degree, such as a PhD, only counts after you have earned the degree.
• Teaching counts if you had full responsibility for the classes you taught.
• Research qualifies if the work done for the degree has been recognized as outstanding within your field.

To document this experience, you’ll need letters from current or former employers. Each testimonial should include the writer’s name, title, and address. It should also describe your duties and how long you worked there.

International recognition in a specific academic field

This requirement asks you to show that experts recognize you internationally as outstanding in a specific academic field—which USCIS defines as a body of specialized knowledge offered for study at an accredited U.S. university or institution of higher education.

That definition matters more than it may seem. Your field can be specific, but it can’t be so narrow that it only covers a single course or your own dissertation topic.

A qualifying job offer

Additionally, the job offer must come in the form of a letter from your prospective U.S. employer. This document must also show it has the ability to pay your salary, and specify that the role you’ll be filling will be:

• A tenured or tenure-track teaching position at a university or institution of higher education. USCIS won’t treat adjunct roles, temporary appointments, or limited-duration fellowships as tenure-track. Those positions don’t come with a reasonable expectation of long-term employment.
• A permanent research role at a university or institution of higher education. Permanent means the job has no fixed end date and you’d ordinarily expect continued employment. Grant-funded positions renewed in one-year increments can still qualify. The employer must show it intends to keep seeking funding and reasonably expects to get it, for example through a history of prior renewals.
• A comparable research position with a private employer, as long as the department, division, or institute making the offer employs at least three full-time researchers and has documented research accomplishments of its own.

Meeting these three baseline requirements establishes that you are eligible to file, but it does not by itself prove you are outstanding in your field. That second showing comes from the evidentiary criteria below, which document the recognition your work has earned.

What are the 6 EB-1B criteria?

To qualify for the EB-1B, you must satisfy at least two criteria. Here’s what each criterion covers and what evidence tends to work, based on the USCIS Policy Manual.

The six EB-1B criteria, set out in the federal regulation 8 CFR 204.5(i)(3), are:

1. Major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement in your academic field.
2. Memberships in associations that require outstanding achievement for entry.
3. Published material written by others about your work.
4. Judging the work of others, individually or on a panel.
5. Original research contributions of significance to your field.
6. Scholarly authorship of books or articles in journals with international circulation.

Major prizes or awards

The awards criterion covers major prizes or awards you received for outstanding achievement in your academic field. These accolades must name you personally instead of your employer or institution.

USCIS also looks at how much the award matters. Relevant factors include who was eligible to compete for it, how many people won, and how widely it’s recognized. For instance, an award limited to one school or company may have little international recognition. Accolades from your home country can qualify as long as they’re significant and relevant to your field.

Membership in selective associations

The membership criterion requires belonging to associations in your field that demand outstanding achievements of their members. In practice, this means that joining a group that only requires you to pay a fee won’t qualify.

If you’re claiming this criterion, gather the association’s membership rules. Those rules show USCIS what your level of membership actually demands.

Published material about your work

The published material criterion covers writing by others about your work in professional publications. However, it must be about your work, not just your employer or a project you were loosely attached to. Articles that cite your research only as one of several footnotes generally do not meet this criterion.

The material doesn’t need to be entirely about you, though. Coverage of a broader topic can qualify if it includes a substantial discussion of your work.

To prove this, consider print articles, online articles, and transcripts of professional audio or videos. Whatever you submit must include the title, date, and author. If the original material is in another language, include an English translation along with evidence of the publication’s circulation and audience.

Judging the work of others

The judging criterion covers evaluating the work of others in your field or an allied field, either on your own or as part of a panel. Its rules are similar to the EB-1A judging criterion, which also asks candidates to submit proof that they actually judged in a professional capacity.

Original research contributions

The original contributions criterion asks for scientific or scholarly research that matters to your academic field as a whole. Your work needs to reach beyond your own lab or institution, though it doesn’t have to rise to the level of major significance.

Citations are one way to show this, but the EB-1B citation requirement has no fixed minimum count.

Scholarly books or articles

The scholarly authorship criterion covers books or articles you’ve written for journals with international circulation. It’s typically peer-reviewed, written for a specialized audience, and may also include footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography.

USCIS does not require applicants to submit a minimum number of publications to satisfy this criterion. However, you’ll need to show that the journal’s circulation is international and identify its intended audience. Peer-reviewed conference proceedings published in professional journals can also qualify.

What if my EB-1B evidence doesn’t fit the standard criteria?

If the standard EB-1B criteria don’t readily apply to your evidence, USCIS may accept comparable evidence in its place. To do this, you’ll need to show that the alternative evidence is similar in kind and quality to what the rules describe. If you have any documents about whether some of the work you’ve done qualifies as comparable evidence, an immigration attorney can help you make that call.

How does USCIS evaluate EB-1B petitions?

USCIS reviews EB-1B evidence in two steps, following the framework described in its Policy Manual.

In step one, the officer checks whether your evidence meets at least two of the six criteria. Step two is the final merits determination, where the officer evaluates the record as a whole. The officer weighs all of your evidence together and decides whether, on balance, you’re internationally recognized as outstanding in your field.

The Policy Manual lists several things that strengthen a case at this stage:

• Publications in highly ranked journals, especially where you’re the sole, senior, or most significant author.
• A high overall citation rate or h-index relative to others in your field.
• Experience at leading research institutions, such as R1 universities or comparably ranked foreign institutions.
• Unsolicited invitations to speak or present at recognized conferences.
• Being named as an investigator or researcher on a competitively funded U.S. government grant for STEM research.

Should I hire an immigration attorney for my EB-1B petition?

An attorney experienced in EB-1B petitions can help you assess your eligibility and choose the criteria your record best supports. The EB-1B has a high approval rate, but that doesn’t mean the process is simple. Request a consultation with Manifest’s EB-1 visa lawyers to discuss your immigration goals and get personalized next steps for your situation.

FAQs about the EB-1B Green Card

What is the difference between EB-1B and EB-1A?

EB-1B requires a qualifying U.S. job offer and employer sponsorship, while EB-1A allows self-petitioning. The EB-1A vs. EB-1B vs. EB-1C categories also differ in who qualifies, who files the petition, and the evidence required.

What is the EB-1B approval rate?

The EB-1B approval rate was 93.0% in Q3 FY2026, covering April through June 2026, according to Manifest’s compilation of USCIS data. EB-1 approval rates vary by category and reporting period, and do not reflect an individual case’s success.

How long does EB-1B processing take?

Standard EB-1B I-140 processing was about 15 months as of November 2026, though premium processing shortens that wait to 15 business days. Overall EB-1 processing times also depend on adjustment of status, consular processing, and any wait for an available immigrant visa.

What are the EB-1B filing fees?

The EB-1B Form I-140 filing fee is $715 via mail or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee that varies by employer size and nonprofit status. Total EB-1 visa costs depend on premium processing, legal fees, and whether the beneficiary adjusts status or uses consular processing.

How difficult is it to get an EB-1B?

The EB-1B bar is high, but it’s well defined. Applicants who meet the three baseline requirements and have strong evidence under at least two criteria are often good candidates. Talk to an immigration attorney if you’re unsure where your record falls.

Is EB-1B easier than EB-1A?

The EB-1B is not necessarily easier or harder than the EB-1A. Both subcategories have their own specific criteria, and it’s more useful to think about what pathway best suits your professional background instead.

How many criteria do I need to meet for the EB-1B?

You need to satisfy at least two of the six criteria, or submit qualifying comparable evidence where the standards do not readily apply. However, meeting this threshold is only the first step, as USCIS conducts a final merits determination to weigh the strength of your petition as a whole.

Are there any specific fields or disciplines that are preferred for EB-1B?

The EB-1B is not limited to a preferred list of academic disciplines. Your field can be as specific, but it must be a recognized area of study at an accredited university in the United States.

Does experience from my PhD count toward the three-year requirement?

Experience gained during a PhD can count toward the three-year requirement after you have earned the degree. You must also have had full responsibility for the classes you taught, or your degree research must have been recognized as outstanding within the academic field.

How does USCIS determine if my research qualifies as original?

USCIS looks for research that has made a meaningful contribution to your academic field, such as new findings, innovative methods, or work that others have built on. Citations, expert letters, and documentation of your work’s impact can help make that case.

Can I use awards from my home country to support my EB-1B application?

Yes, you can use awards from other countries to qualify, as long as the award is significant and relevant to your academic field. USCIS cares about who could compete for the award and how widely it’s recognized, not where it was granted.

Is it necessary to have a specific number of citations for published research?

There’s no required number of citations for your scholarly authorship. However, a strong citation record can help support the case that your work has earned international recognition.

Can a government agency sponsor my EB-1B?

A government agency generally cannot sponsor an EB-1B unless it qualifies as a U.S. university or institution of higher learning.

Can I switch to an EB-1B from another visa?

An applicant on another visa can pursue EB-1B if the applicant and petitioning employer meet its requirements. The H-1B to EB-1 and O-1 to EB-1 pathways can involve either adjustment of status or consular processing. Filing or approval of an I-140 does not itself grant permanent residence or extend a temporary immigration status.