Nov 2026 bulletinEB-2 · India 01 Nov 2013 · China 01 Oct 2021 · Rest of world 01 Apr 2025PERM~10.0 months

Green Card / Side paths

EB-1: the faster lane (A, B and C)

EB-1 skips PERM and has much shorter queues than EB-2 and EB-3 for India and China. Who qualifies for extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher and multinational manager.

Last verified 2026-09-26 Reviewed September 30, 2026 General guidance, not legal advice. Always check with a qualified attorney

For people born in India, NFAP projects that a new EB-2 filer faces an extraordinary wait, but EB-1 is about five years. That gap is why so many ask “do I qualify for EB-1?”

EB-1A: extraordinary ability

For people at the very top of their field. You can self-petition, with no employer or job offer. You must show either a major one-time international award or at least 3 of 10 criteria, such as:

  • nationally or internationally recognized prizes,
  • membership in associations that require outstanding achievement,
  • published material about you,
  • judging others’ work (for example peer review),
  • original contributions of major significance,
  • authorship of scholarly articles,
  • a leading or critical role at distinguished organizations,
  • high salary compared with others in the field.

Meeting 3 criteria is only step one; USCIS then weighs whether the whole record shows sustained acclaim.

EB-1B: outstanding professor or researcher

Needs an employer offer (a university or a private employer with a qualifying research department), 3 years of research or teaching experience, international recognition, and at least 2 of 6 criteria.

EB-1C: multinational manager or executive

For managers and executives who worked at least one year in the last three for a related company abroad and are coming to manage or direct in the US. Common for L-1A transfers.

Is it worth trying?

EB-1 petitions filed in addition to an existing EB-2 or EB-3 don’t hurt the other case, and an approved EB-1 carries its own priority date. Many people build their record deliberately for a few years first: publishing, reviewing, speaking.

The good

  • No PERM labor certification
  • India and China waits are years, not decades
  • EB-1A needs no employer at all

The hard

  • The bar is high and judged on evidence
  • Denials are common for thin cases
  • EB-1 queues for India and China still exist and can retrogress

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Sources

  1. USCIS: Employment-Based Immigration: First Preference EB-1
  2. USCIS Policy Manual: Extraordinary ability (Vol. 6, Part F, Ch. 2)
  3. Cato Institute: Employment-based backlog exceeds 1.2 million (EB-1 wait estimates)

Rules change often. If something here looks out of date, it probably is; check the official source and talk to an immigration attorney about your own case.