I.
You file for yourself.
You petition for yourself, without an employer’s involvement.
For engineers
EB-1A for Professors and Researchers
If you have built a record of citations, peer recognition, and original contributions, the EB-1A is the strongest Green Card available to you. You can self-petition on the strength of your work, without an employer sponsor or PERM labor certification. And unlike EB-2, EB-1 has shorter priority dates — even for India and China. At Manifest Law, our attorneys help professors and researchers build strong EB-1A petitions from start to finish.
- Flat fees with payment plans, no hourly surprises
- Ex-USCIS officer review available on every plan
- Live case tracking through the Manifest portal
- Built for academic and industry researchers across STEM and beyond
/Find your path
What the EB-1A is, and why professors and researchers use it
The EB-1A is the Green Card for people with extraordinary ability. For researchers, USCIS expects to see a record of citations, peer recognition, original contributions, and a leading role in your field. The bar is higher than EB-2 NIW, but the priority dates are shorter and the case is also not tied to your employer.
Why professors and researchers choose the EB-1A
II.
It is not tied to your current job.
You can change institutions or move between academia and industry without restarting your case.
III.
Priority dates are shorter than the EB-2.
EB-1 priority dates are often current or near-current for most countries, and materially shorter than EB-2 even for India and China.
/Do you qualify
Do you qualify for the EB-1A as a professor or researcher?
For EB-1A cases, USCIS uses a two-step analysis. First, you must meet at least three of ten criteria. Second, USCIS conducts a final merits review to determine whether the totality of your evidence shows you are at the top of your field. For researchers, the framing matters as much as the numbers.
Awards
NIH K-series or R-series awards as PI, NSF CAREER, named fellowships, society young investigator awards, or named professorships.
Membership in selective organizations
AAAS Fellow, IEEE Fellow, ACS Fellow, society leadership roles, invited national academy task forces, or fellow status in your specialty society.
Published material about you
Coverage of your research in esteemed outlets, trade journals, or even your university’s press releases that garnered significant attention.
Judging the work of others
Peer review for high-impact journals, NIH or NSF study section service, conference program committee work, dissertation committee membership, or grant review for foundations.
Original contributions of major significance
Papers with strong citations, novel methods or tools adopted by other labs, widely-used datasets, licensed patents, or guidelines you helped author.
Authorship of scholarly articles
Peer-reviewed papers in PubMed or Scopus-indexed journals, with citation counts and journal impact factors documented.
Display at exhibitions or showcases
Invited keynote talks at top conferences, curated dataset or tool releases, or museum or science showcase exhibitions of your work.
Critical role at a distinguished organization
Tenure-track faculty role at an R1 institution, principal investigator role on a named program, lab director, or core leadership at a national lab or industry research division.
High salary
Compensation in the top range for your role, backed by AAUP, AAMC, or BLS data depending on your sector.
Commercial success
Less common for academics, but applicable to researchers with licensed patents, spinout companies, or industry partnerships generating revenue.
How Manifest builds your EB-1A case
Final-merits framing, not box-checking
We build the petition around a clear story about what you have discovered, who else uses your work, and why you stand out in your field. Every criterion ties back to that narrative.
Citations and grants, packaged for an officer
We pull a clean citation report, normalize for your subfield, document journal impact factors, and lay out grant funding in a way an adjudicator can scan in minutes.
Independent recommenders who actually know the field
We help you identify and approach independent recommenders from peer institutions and industry. Letters from senior researchers you have never worked with directly carry more weight than letters from your advisor or department.
RFE-prepared from day one
We know which criteria USCIS pushes back on most for researchers — usually original contributions and critical role. We address the common objections inside the initial petition so they do not become RFEs.
Meet our experienced attorneys
Our immigration lawyers are more than credentialed. They are personally committed to your outcome. Only 1% of attorney applicants are selected to work with Manifest, and they bring the care, insight, and precision needed to craft complex cases at the highest level.
Jeff Joseph
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
30+ Years of Experience
Gregory Boult
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
25+ Years of Experience5,000+ Cases Filed*
Rami Lee
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
18+ Years of Experience5,000+ Cases Filed*
Evan J. Law
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
17+ Years of Experience1,300+ Cases Filed*
Ana Senior
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
14+ Years of Experience1,200+ Cases Filed*
Lahaina Araneta McBeth
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
12+ Years of Experience4,800+ Cases Filed*
Avalon L. Paul
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
10+ Years of Experience1,700+ Cases Filed*
Ana Gabriela Urizar
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
10+ Years of Experience15,000+ Cases Filed*
Amanda Mitchell
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
9+ Years of Experience2,500+ Cases Filed*
Nicole Gunara
PRINC. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
7+ Years of Experience1,700+ Cases Filed*
Henry Lindpere
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
5+ Years of Experience700+ Cases Filed*
Bruna Maciel Soledade
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
5+ Years of Experience1,150+ Cases Filed*
*Representative image - not actual Manifest lawyer or client
/Our approach
Why clients trust Manifest’s immigration lawyers
Here is what our clients get on every Manifest case.
01
Ex-USCIS officer review
Available as an add-on for Silver and Gold plans, and automatically included in the Platinum plan. An attorney with USCIS adjudication experience reviews your petition before it leaves our office.
02
Flat fees, no surprises
One price, quoted upfront on your strategy call. We do not bill by the hour. Payment plans are available.
03
Live case tracking
The Manifest portal shows every status update, every document, and your next step in real time.
04
Built for academics
We have represented professors, postdocs, research scientists, and lab leads across STEM and humanities at U.S. universities and research institutions.
05
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.
01
Ex-USCIS officer review
Available as an add-on for Silver and Gold plans, and automatically included in the Platinum plan. An attorney with USCIS adjudication experience reviews your petition before it leaves our office.
02
Flat fees, no surprises
One price, quoted upfront on your strategy call. We do not bill by the hour. Payment plans are available.
03
Live case tracking
The Manifest portal shows every status update, every document, and your next step in real time.
04
Built for academics
We have represented professors, postdocs, research scientists, and lab leads across STEM and humanities at U.S. universities and research institutions.
05
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.
01
Ex-USCIS officer review
Available as an add-on for Silver and Gold plans, and automatically included in the Platinum plan. An attorney with USCIS adjudication experience reviews your petition before it leaves our office.
02
Flat fees, no surprises
One price, quoted upfront on your strategy call. We do not bill by the hour. Payment plans are available.
03
Live case tracking
The Manifest portal shows every status update, every document, and your next step in real time.
04
Built for academics
We have represented professors, postdocs, research scientists, and lab leads across STEM and humanities at U.S. universities and research institutions.
05
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.
*Representative image - not actual Manifest lawyer or client
/Success stories
Helping professors and researchers build their future in the U.S.
From EB-1A self-petitions built on citation records and grant leadership to approvals after RFE responses, we’ve helped professors and researchers secure permanent residence on the strength of their work.
EB-1A
NewAn Indian Research Leader's EB-1A Survives an RFE
Rachael Gilburd - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawRachael Gilburd helped an Indian clinical research leader win an EB-1A approval after an RFE, trading a decade-old EB-2 priority date for a self-petitioned path. The filing rested on his work enabling patient data to be collected through patients' own devices, an approach the drug-development field later adopted, backed by independent expert letters, standards-committee leadership, and indexed conference proceedings. The I-140 was filed with premium processing, with adjustment of status to follow.
EB-1A
Researcher Skips a Years-Long Backlog With an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian researcher working in the U.S. on an H-1B secure an approved EB-1A extraordinary ability petition, allowing her to bypass a years-long visa backlog on her earlier employment-based filing. The case was built on her critical role at a distinguished organization, hundreds of scholarly citations, roughly forty peer-review and judging assignments, and multiple professional memberships and awards. A Request for Evidence was raised and successfully overcome on the way to approval.
EB-1A
AI Researcher With a Televised Award Earns an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian artificial intelligence researcher earn permanent residence with the EB-1A visa. The case combined a prestigious televised technology award, a portfolio of research papers and patents built over seven years in AI, service on the review committee of a top international AI conference, and a gold medal as the top-ranked student of his undergraduate university.
EB-1A
Oncology Researcher Self-Petitions Her Way to a Green Card
Lahaina Araneta McBeth - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawLahaina Araneta helped an oncology researcher secure her Green Card through an EB-1A self-petition. The case was built on the client's PhD-level research record, including peer-reviewed publications cited dozens of times, extensive service as a peer reviewer for journals and conferences, and original contributions in a field of national importance. Her critical role at a distinguished research organization further strengthened the petition.
EB-1A
NewAn Indian Research Leader's EB-1A Survives an RFE
Rachael Gilburd - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawRachael Gilburd helped an Indian clinical research leader win an EB-1A approval after an RFE, trading a decade-old EB-2 priority date for a self-petitioned path. The filing rested on his work enabling patient data to be collected through patients' own devices, an approach the drug-development field later adopted, backed by independent expert letters, standards-committee leadership, and indexed conference proceedings. The I-140 was filed with premium processing, with adjustment of status to follow.
EB-1A
Researcher Skips a Years-Long Backlog With an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian researcher working in the U.S. on an H-1B secure an approved EB-1A extraordinary ability petition, allowing her to bypass a years-long visa backlog on her earlier employment-based filing. The case was built on her critical role at a distinguished organization, hundreds of scholarly citations, roughly forty peer-review and judging assignments, and multiple professional memberships and awards. A Request for Evidence was raised and successfully overcome on the way to approval.
EB-1A
AI Researcher With a Televised Award Earns an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian artificial intelligence researcher earn permanent residence with the EB-1A visa. The case combined a prestigious televised technology award, a portfolio of research papers and patents built over seven years in AI, service on the review committee of a top international AI conference, and a gold medal as the top-ranked student of his undergraduate university.
EB-1A
Oncology Researcher Self-Petitions Her Way to a Green Card
Lahaina Araneta McBeth - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawLahaina Araneta helped an oncology researcher secure her Green Card through an EB-1A self-petition. The case was built on the client's PhD-level research record, including peer-reviewed publications cited dozens of times, extensive service as a peer reviewer for journals and conferences, and original contributions in a field of national importance. Her critical role at a distinguished research organization further strengthened the petition.
EB-1A
NewAn Indian Research Leader's EB-1A Survives an RFE
Rachael Gilburd - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawRachael Gilburd helped an Indian clinical research leader win an EB-1A approval after an RFE, trading a decade-old EB-2 priority date for a self-petitioned path. The filing rested on his work enabling patient data to be collected through patients' own devices, an approach the drug-development field later adopted, backed by independent expert letters, standards-committee leadership, and indexed conference proceedings. The I-140 was filed with premium processing, with adjustment of status to follow.
EB-1A
Researcher Skips a Years-Long Backlog With an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian researcher working in the U.S. on an H-1B secure an approved EB-1A extraordinary ability petition, allowing her to bypass a years-long visa backlog on her earlier employment-based filing. The case was built on her critical role at a distinguished organization, hundreds of scholarly citations, roughly forty peer-review and judging assignments, and multiple professional memberships and awards. A Request for Evidence was raised and successfully overcome on the way to approval.
EB-1A
AI Researcher With a Televised Award Earns an EB-1A
Gregory Boult - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawGregory Boult helped an Indian artificial intelligence researcher earn permanent residence with the EB-1A visa. The case combined a prestigious televised technology award, a portfolio of research papers and patents built over seven years in AI, service on the review committee of a top international AI conference, and a gold medal as the top-ranked student of his undergraduate university.
EB-1A
Oncology Researcher Self-Petitions Her Way to a Green Card
Lahaina Araneta McBeth - Immigration Lawyer Co-Counsel to Manifest LawLahaina Araneta helped an oncology researcher secure her Green Card through an EB-1A self-petition. The case was built on the client's PhD-level research record, including peer-reviewed publications cited dozens of times, extensive service as a peer reviewer for journals and conferences, and original contributions in a field of national importance. Her critical role at a distinguished research organization further strengthened the petition.
*Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
/Testimonials
Client stories
Discover how Manifest has helped clients navigate the visa process and read their success stories.
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
Gurinder Singh
I have worked with Dan and Simon directly, and my experience has been like no other. It feels like I'm talking with actual people who care about my case. Any questions I had, they were happy to assist me with in a very short time and make sure everything was clear before moving on to the next thing. I will definitely be working with them again in the future.
Sandra Rocha
I had an amazing experience with Manifest Law from the first intake interview, through a fast and professional process of working on the file, to a straightforward approval of my case. Catlea Bobis is a superstar attorney, and I recommend everyone considering trusting your case to professional support like I had with Catlea and the entire team at Manifest Law.
Irina Batukhtina
*Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
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Myles Ma
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Myles Ma
EB‑1A Judging Criteria and Opportunities: How to Prove Your Expert Status
Myles Ma
EB‑1A Request for Evidence (RFE): What Triggers Them, How to Respond
Nupur GambhirA Guide to the EB‑1A Leading or Critical Role Criterion
Myles MaEB‑1A Press: How to Use Major Media Coverage
Myles MaEB‑1A Judging Criteria and Opportunities: How to Prove Your Expert Status
Myles MaEB‑1A Request for Evidence (RFE): What Triggers Them, How to Respond
Nupur GambhirA Guide to the EB‑1A Leading or Critical Role Criterion
Myles MaEB‑1A Press: How to Use Major Media Coverage
Myles MaEB‑1A Judging Criteria and Opportunities: How to Prove Your Expert Status
Myles MaEB‑1A Request for Evidence (RFE): What Triggers Them, How to Respond
Nupur Gambhir/FAQs
Still have questions about the EB-1A as a professor or researcher?
How is EB-1A different from EB-1B?
EB-1B (Outstanding Professor or Researcher) requires an employer to sponsor you and a permanent research or tenure-track offer. EB-1A is self-petitioned — no employer, no PERM — so you keep the flexibility to change institutions or move between academia and industry without restarting the case.
Do I need to be tenured?
No. Tenure helps evidence a critical role, but postdocs, research scientists, and industry researchers qualify on the strength of citations, grants, peer review, and original contributions. What matters is the overall record, not the title.
Can I self-petition?
Yes. You file the I-140 yourself, without an employer’s involvement and without PERM labor certification.
How many publications do I need?
There is no fixed number. USCIS weighs impact — citations, where the work is published, and how widely your methods or findings are used — more than raw publication count. A strategy call is the fastest way to see whether your record supports at least three criteria.
What if my citation count is low?
Citation count is one signal among many. Grant leadership, peer review and study-section service, adoption of your methods or datasets by other labs, and a critical role on a named program can carry the petition. We normalize citation data for your subfield so the numbers are read in context.
Can my spouse work?
Once your priority date is current and you file I-485, your spouse can file alongside you and receive an EAD. They can work for any employer while the case is pending.
Pay on Approval availability and payment terms are subject to the terms of the selected service plan and engagement agreement.
