Green card

Nonimmigrant visa

Outstanding Professors and Researchers

Free Trade Agreement Professionals

Professors, Researchers, Academic scholars, Senior university faculty members

Software developers, Financial analysts, Medical professionals, Engineers, Scientists, University professors, Physical therapists, Agronomists, Management consultants

• Demonstrate international acclaim in an academic field by meeting at least 2 of 6 required evidence criteria, such as receiving prestigious awards, authoring scholarly books or articles, or contributing original scientific or scholarly research to the field.

• You must possess at least 3 years of experience in teaching or research.

• You must secure a tenure-track or comparable research position in the U.S. with an employer that meets specific research capabilities.

• You must be sponsored by a U.S. university, institution of higher education, or a private employer that employs at least 3 full-time researchers and can document achievements in an academic field.

• The U.S. employer must demonstrate the ability to pay your salary.

• You must be a citizen of Chile or Singapore.

• You must hold a 4-year bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience (three years of professional experience for each missing year of formal education).

• The job must be a specialty occupation, requiring specialized knowledge typically obtained through a bachelor's degree or higher. This includes roles in fields like engineering, mathematics, and technology, where the complexity of the tasks necessitates advanced education.

• The employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the position — a rate set by the U.S. Department of Labor based on the occupation, work location, and level of experience. This wage is not flexible and must be met at a minimum.

• Provides complete flexibility to work, live, and study in the U.S.

• No labor certification is required, simplifying the application process.

• Offers the fastest pathway to a green card among EB categories.

• Lower standard (outstanding recognition) compared to EB-1A (extraordinary ability).

• Easy renewal process with the option to extend stay.

• Far less competitive than the H-1B visa, as it does not require an annual lottery.

• Requires sponsorship and a permanent job offer, limiting flexibility.

• Only available to candidates with high-level job offers in research or academia.

• Rigid requirements apply to both the petitioner and the beneficiary.

• Requires employer sponsorship and a job offer in a specialty occupation.

• Annual renewal adds administrative overhead.

Required

Required

Permanent residency

18 months¹

Every 10 years

Indefinitely

10-18 months¹

1-4 months

15 business days²

No

Yes

No

¹Applicants from India, China, or Mexico may experience longer wait times.

²Available for only the first stage of the process.

¹Visa issued for 18-month terms with admission to the U.S. in 12-month periods, renewable in 12-month increments.