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United States · Permanent residence

EB-1B Outstanding Professor/Researcher (Green Card)

Processing
Varies by service center
Cost
From $1,315
Validity
Permanent residence

Employment-based first-preference green card for outstanding professors and researchers recognized internationally in their academic field.

Requirements

  • International recognition as outstanding in a specific academic area
  • At least 3 years of experience in teaching or research in the field
  • Coming for a tenured/tenure-track or comparable permanent research position
  • A university or private research employer must file the petition
  • Meet at least 2 of 6 regulatory criteria (major awards, published material, judging, original contributions, scholarly articles, association membership)

Time and cost

Processing time
The I-140 petition varies by service center; premium processing gives USCIS 15 business days for adjudicative action. Visa availability and the final green-card stage add time
Validity
Permanent residence
Cost

From $1,315

Required

  • $715 Form I-140 petition
  • $600 Asylum Program Fee (standard; small employer $300, nonprofit $0)

Optional

  • $2,965 premium processing
  • Legal fees, if you hire a lawyer, come on top.

Documents

  • Form I-140

    Filed by the employer

  • Permanent job offer letter

    Tenure-track or comparable permanent research role

  • Evidence of outstanding recognition

    Publications, citations, awards, peer review activity

  • Recommendation letters (if it applies)

    Optional corroborating evidence from experts; no fixed number is required

Your family

Status your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can hold alongside this route. Children can study on it too.

Derivative Green CardSpouse can work

Your spouse and eligible children can obtain permanent residence as derivative applicants. Each family member is processed separately and receives full work rights only after becoming a permanent resident.

  • For preference cases, the Child Status Protection Act generally subtracts petition-pending time from the child’s age when a visa becomes available. The child usually must seek permanent residence within one year
  • Derivative applicants adjusting status in the US may generally request an EAD with or after filing Form I-485; consular processing does not provide interim US work authorization

Tips

  • No labor certification (PERM) required
  • An employer must petition; EB-1A is the self-petition alternative
  • Citations and peer-review work may help document international recognition, but no single metric decides the case