I.
You are completing training
You want to understand which Green Card path fits your specialty and your practice plans before you commit to a first position.
For physicians
U.S. Green Card strategy for physicians
Where you trained, where you practice, and whether you carry a J-1 home residency requirement all change which pathway fits. Our attorneys help doctors untangle the options and build a plan around your timeline.
- Physician NIW, EB-2 NIW, EB-1A and PERM under one strategy
- J-1 waiver and Green Card planned together, not separately
- Flat fees quoted upfront, with payment plans
- Ex-USCIS officer review available on your petition
Photograph is a stock image, not a Manifest client.
The landscape
What Green Card options does a physician typically have?
Doctors have a Green Card path the rest of the labor market does not. The Physician NIW lets a physician self-petition without a labor certification by committing to five years of full-time clinical work in a designated underserved area or VA facility. The petition can be filed before those five years are complete, but the Green Card cannot be approved until the service requirement is met. The standard EB-2 NIW, EB-1A, and EB-2 PERM are also available, and each fits a different physician profile and stage of training.
Common starting points for physicians
Most physicians arrive at one of these three moments. Each points toward a different filing strategy.
II.
You are headed to an underserved area
You are working or planning to work in a designated shortage area or VA facility and want to file a Physician NIW.
III.
You are on a research track
You are a research-track physician at an academic medical center building toward the EB-1A or the standard EB-2 NIW.
Pathways
Your Green Card options
Three routes cover most physicians. Which one fits depends on your service commitments, your research record, and your timeline.
01
Underserved-area or VA service
Physician NIW
Self-petition with no labor certification, in exchange for five years of full-time clinical work in a designated shortage area or a VA facility. You can file before the five years are served, but approval waits until they are.
02
Research and public health record
Standard EB-2 NIW
No underserved-area commitment, but it asks you to document national impact — publications, grants, trial leadership, or public health work. Common for research-track and academic physicians.
03
Top of the field, or employer-sponsored
EB-1A and EB-2 PERM
EB-1A is a self-petition for physicians with a standout record and often the fastest priority date. EB-2 PERM runs through your employer with a labor certification, and suits doctors in a stable hospital or group position.
/Our approach
How your case moves
01
A 30-minute strategy call
An attorney reads your training history, your visa status, and your practice plans, then tells you which pathways your record actually supports — and which it does not yet.
02
The J-1 waiver, planned first
If you carry a home residency requirement, the waiver decides your timeline. We map the waiver and the Green Card petition as one plan rather than two unrelated filings.
03
Evidence built to the standard
We tell you exactly which letters, contracts, and shortage-area designations we need, and draft the petition around the evidence you can realistically produce.
04
Filing, and everything after
You track every status update and document in the Manifest portal. If an RFE arrives, the attorney who built the case is the one who answers it.
Why clients trust Manifest's immigration lawyers
Here is what our clients get on every Manifest case.
Ex-USCIS officer review
An attorney with USCIS adjudication experience reviews your petition before it leaves our office. Available as an add-on for Silver and Gold plans, and automatically included in Platinum.
Flat fees, no surprises
One price, quoted upfront on your strategy call. We do not bill by the hour. Payment plans are available.
Live case tracking
The Manifest portal shows every status update, every document, and your next step in real time.
Built for physicians
We have represented internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, and specialty physicians working in HPSAs across the country.
Money back guarantee
If conditions are met and your visa isn't approved, you get a refund of all or part of your legal fees. Only available for select plans.
J-1 waiver and Green Card as one plan
Many physicians need a J-1 home residency waiver before a Green Card. We plan the waiver and the petition together rather than treating them as two unrelated filings.
/Success stories
Helping physicians build their future in the U.S.
/Testimonials
What our clients say
Read how Manifest has helped clients navigate the process end to end.
“Very professional, Simon and Dan responded to my clarifications with satisfaction. prepared my case with detailed documentation and got my approval from USCIS. Highly recommended for individuals looking for GC process under employment-based category”
*Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
*Representative image - not actual Manifest lawyer or client
/Resources
What physicians should be reading now
News
State Department Proposes Overhaul of J-1 Exchange Visitor Rules
News
USCIS Releases Second Quarter Approval Data for Fiscal Year 2026
Comparison
Immigration Firms With a Money-Back Guarantee: What 'Approval-Backed' Really Means
Employers
5 Hidden Costs in Immigration Legal Contracts (and How to Spot Them)
News
State Department Proposes Overhaul of J-1 Exchange Visitor Rules
News
USCIS Releases Second Quarter Approval Data for Fiscal Year 2026
Comparison
Immigration Firms With a Money-Back Guarantee: What 'Approval-Backed' Really Means
Employers
5 Hidden Costs in Immigration Legal Contracts (and How to Spot Them)
News
State Department Proposes Overhaul of J-1 Exchange Visitor Rules
News
USCIS Releases Second Quarter Approval Data for Fiscal Year 2026
Comparison
Immigration Firms With a Money-Back Guarantee: What 'Approval-Backed' Really Means
Employers
5 Hidden Costs in Immigration Legal Contracts (and How to Spot Them)
/FAQs
Common questions physicians ask about Green Card options
Should I file a Physician NIW or an EB-2 NIW?
It depends on where you practice and what your record looks like. The Physician NIW is built around a five-year commitment to full-time clinical work in a designated shortage area or VA facility, and does not ask you to document national impact. The standard EB-2 NIW has no underserved-area requirement but does expect a research footprint — publications, grants, trial leadership, or public health contributions. A strategy call is the fastest way to tell which one your record supports.
Do I need an employer sponsor for any of these?
Not for the Physician NIW, the standard EB-2 NIW, or the EB-1A — all three are self-petitions, so you file on your own behalf and are not tied to one employer. The EB-2 PERM route does require an employer sponsor and a labor certification.
Can I pursue more than one of these at the same time?
Yes. Filing more than one petition is common where the record supports it, and it can protect your timeline if one path moves slowly. Whether it makes sense for you depends on your evidence and your priority date, which is something to work through on a strategy call.
How much does the whole process cost end to end?
Manifest quotes a flat fee upfront on your strategy call rather than billing by the hour, and payment plans are available. The exact figure depends on which pathway you file and which service plan you choose.
Money-back guarantees and refunds are subject to the terms of the selected service plan and engagement agreement.
