What is EB1B Outstanding Professors and Researchers?
EB1B is an employment-based priority worker category for outstanding professors or researchers who are recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic area. EB1B professors or researchers should stand apart in the academic community through eminence and distinction based on international recognition.
EB1B professor must demonstrate at least 3 years of teaching experience in the academic area. The proposed position must be a tenure position or a tenure-track position within a university or institution of higher education to teach in the academic area.
EB1B researcher must demonstrate at least 3 years of research experience in the area. The position must be tenured, tenure track or a permanent offer with a university or institution of higher education to conduct research in the area. The position may also be with a department, division, or institute of a private employer to conduct research, if the department, division, or institute employs at least 3 full-time research employees and has achieved documented accomplishments in an academic field.
Unlike EB1A extraordinary ability category, EB1B requires a job offer from an employer who has the ability to pay the offered salary. However, PERM labor certification is not required. Also, unlike EB1A, which allows sustained national acclaim of extraordinary ability, EB1B requires international recognition as outstanding in the field.
Requirements:
As described above, only a qualified employer may sponsor an EB1B employee.
Additionally, each EB1B beneficiary must document at least 2 of the following:
- Receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement in the academic field
- Membership in associations in the academic field which require outstanding achievements of their members
- Published material in professional publications (including title, date, author, and any translation) written by others about the applicant’s work in the academic field
- Participation, either individually or on a panel, as a judge of the work of others in the same or an allied field of specialization
- Original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field
- Authorship of scholarly books or articles (in scholarly journals with international circulation) in the academic field
Similar to EB1A, USCIS analyzes EB1B under the Kazarian two-step analysis. This test requires: (1) meeting the regulatory requirements of at least two criteria (listed above) and (2) showing that the evidence as a whole supports EB1B approval.
EB1B case requires an experienced attorney who can carefully evaluate and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each individual case and develop an individually tailored strategy that highlight the merits of each case. Our attorneys have the expertise and the experience to successfully guide you through the process.