About EB-1

The EB-1 visa category is for priority workers — individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers or executives. This category typically has the shortest wait times among employment-based preferences, though applicants from India and China may still face significant backlogs.

EB-1 applicants do not require a labor certification (PERM), which accelerates the process. The priority date is established when the I-140 petition is filed with USCIS. Once the priority date becomes current according to the Visa Bulletin, the applicant can proceed with the final green card adjudication.

Historical movement for EB-1 has been relatively favorable for most countries, with frequent advancement. However, India and China have experienced periods of retrogression due to high demand and per-country caps.