EB-1 Visa Lawyers in Los Angeles

• The EB-1 is an employment-based immigrant visa for “priority workers”: people with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, as well as outstanding professors, researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers.

It leads to U.S. permanent residency, so you can live and work in the country long term as a lawful permanent resident. In Los Angeles and the wider Southern California area, EB-1 Green Card holders are often recognized in film and TV, athletics, technology, academia, healthcare, and fast-growing startups.

For many, an EB-1 is what allows them to turn a temporary stint in Los Angeles into a long-term home and career base.

The EB-1 visa is for people at the top of their field or in qualifying executive and managerial roles.

• USCIS recognizes three categories within EB-1: EB-1A for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, shown through sustained national or international acclaim; EB-1B for outstanding professors and researchers who are internationally recognized in their academic field and are coming to the U.S. for a tenure, tenure-track, or comparable research position; and EB-1C for certain multinational managers and executives transferring to a U.S. employer in a qualifying managerial or executive role.

In Los Angeles, that can look like a researcher affiliated with UCLA, USC, Caltech, or NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); a founder scaling a high-growth company based in the Westside; a musician performing with major LA institutions and venues like the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall or the Hollywood Bowl; or a creative professional building a high-level record in film or TV through projects connected to major studio ecosystems across Hollywood, Burbank, and Culver City.

What matters most isn’t the zip code. It’s whether your achievements show the level of extraordinary ability or recognition USCIS expects for the EB-1 category.

• Who files your EB-1 petition depends on which EB-1 category you’re using: EB-1A (extraordinary ability): You can self-petition. You don’t need a specific Los Angeles employer to sponsor you, but you do need to show you plan to keep working in your field.

In LA, that can be demonstrated through job offers, contracts, a business plan, an agent or management agreement (for creatives), speaking engagements, or a pipeline of projects based in or tied to the Los Angeles market.

EB-1B (outstanding professors and researchers) and EB-1C (multinational managers and executives): A U.S. employer must file the petition on your behalf. In Los Angeles, that could be:

• A major university or research institution hiring you into a long-term academic or comparable research role
• A private institution hiring you to work in their research department
• A hospital or medical/research organization bringing you on as a physician-scientist or principal investigator in a qualifying research position
• A global company with Los Angeles operations sponsoring you as a senior manager or executive, transferring into a qualifying managerial or executive role
• A major entertainment, media, or technology company in LA hiring you into a specialized leadership position, for roles that fit EB-1B/EB-1C requirements

Whether you’re self-petitioning under EB-1A or sponsored by a Los Angeles–based employer under EB-1B or EB-1C, the EB-1 category is designed to support a long-term career in the U.S. for professionals performing at the top of their field, often with Los Angeles as the center of that work.

Because EB-1 is reserved for priority workers, it often moves more quickly than other employment-based categories. There’s no PERM step, and in many cases, visa numbers are more favorable than for EB-2 or EB-3.

For Los Angeles and Southern California–based professionals and employers, that can translate into shorter timelines from approval to permanent residence, which is critical when you’re trying to retain top talent in competitive industries like media, entertainment, tech, or healthcare.

The criteria for the EB-1 visa depend on which subcategory you’re applying for. Criteria for the EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) To qualify for EB-1A, you must show extraordinary ability in your field, either by:

1. A one-time major achievement (like a Nobel Prize), or
2. Meeting at least 3 of USCIS’s criteria, which include things like:

• Significant awards or prizes
• Memberships that require outstanding achievements
• Published material about you in major media or journals
• Serving as a judge of peers’ work
• Original contributions of major significance (e.g., patents, widely cited work)
• Authorship of scholarly articles
• Leading or critical roles at distinguished organizations
• High salary or compensation compared to others in your field
• Work displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases
• Commercial successes in the performing arts Criteria for the EB-1B (Outstanding Professors and Researchers) To qualify for EB-1B, you must:

1. Have at least 3 years of teaching or research experience, and 2. Be recognized internationally as outstanding in your academic field, and 3. Have a tenure, tenure-track, or comparable research position offer from a U.S. employer, and 4. Meet at least 2 of USCIS’s criteria, such as:

• Major awards or prizes for achievement
• Memberships that require outstanding accomplishments
• Published material about your work
• Serving as a judge of others’ research
• Original scientific or scholarly contributions
• Authorship of scholarly books or articles Criteria for the EB-1C (Multinational Managers and Executives) To qualify for EB-1C, you must:

1. Have worked outside the U.S. for at least 1 year in the last 3 years (or in the 3 years before your transfer) for a qualifying multinational employer, and 2. Be coming to the U.S. to work in a managerial or executive role for the same company or an affiliate/parent/subsidiary, and 3. Show the company has been doing business in the U.S. for at least 1 year.

To qualify for EB-1A, you must show extraordinary ability in your field, either by:

1. A one-time major achievement (like a Nobel Prize), or
2. Meeting at least 3 of USCIS’s criteria, which include things like:

• Significant awards or prizes
• Memberships that require outstanding achievements
• Published material about you in major media or journals
• Serving as a judge of peers’ work
• Original contributions of major significance (e.g., patents, widely cited work)
• Authorship of scholarly articles
• Leading or critical roles at distinguished organizations
• High salary or compensation compared to others in your field
• Work displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases
• Commercial successes in the performing arts

To qualify for EB-1B, you must:

1. Have at least 3 years of teaching or research experience, and 2. Be recognized internationally as outstanding in your academic field, and 3. Have a tenure, tenure-track, or comparable research position offer from a U.S. employer, and 4. Meet at least 2 of USCIS’s criteria, such as:

• Major awards or prizes for achievement
• Memberships that require outstanding accomplishments
• Published material about your work
• Serving as a judge of others’ research
• Original scientific or scholarly contributions
• Authorship of scholarly books or articles

To qualify for EB-1C, you must:

1. Have worked outside the U.S. for at least 1 year in the last 3 years (or in the 3 years before your transfer) for a qualifying multinational employer, and 2. Be coming to the U.S. to work in a managerial or executive role for the same company or an affiliate/parent/subsidiary, and 3. Show the company has been doing business in the U.S. for at least 1 year.

EB-1 visa processing times can vary widely. With standard processing, cases are typically decided in about 14 months, depending on USCIS workload and the service center handling your case.

If you opt for premium processing, USCIS aims to issue a decision on the I-140 petition within 15 business days for EB-1A and EB-1B applicants, and 45 business days for EB-1C applicants. Keep in mind that preparing your case and gathering evidence often adds extra time before you’re ready to file.

After your I-140 petition is approved, you may be able to file for your EB-1 Green Card immediately, although people from China and India may have to wait several years for their priority date to become current.

Government filing fees for the EB-1 visa generally total $2,000-$3,000. The exact amount depends on whether you apply from inside the U.S. (adjustment of status) or abroad (consular processing), and on case-specific costs like medical exams and document translations. If you choose premium processing, an additional fee applies, which significantly speeds up the timeline.

Note these are just the USCIS costs and filing fees—they don’t include legal fees, translation, or document preparation. To see if you qualify for an EB-1 visa, request a consultation below.