EB-1 Approval Rate
The United States issues around 40,000 EB-1 Immigrant Visas and Green Cards for US permanent residency every year.
These employment-based EB-1 Visas are granted to skilled foreign workers in three sub-categories: individuals with extraordinary ability in the arts, athletics, business, education or science; outstanding researchers or professors; and multinational executives or managers.
Holders of the EB-1 Immigrant Visa and Green Card are authorized to live, study and work in the USA for an unlimited time period; and have the opportunity to travel to and from the United States; sponsor certain family members for a Green Card; start a business; buy a home; receive Social Security benefits once eligible; apply for a driving license in the state of residence; and become an American citizen after living in the US for five years and meeting other criteria.
This article will discuss the EB-1 approval rate, which is a topic of interest for many people, so continue reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
What factors influence the approval rates of EB-1?
The EB-1 approval rate can be influenced by a variety of factors such as whether:
- the forms and applications were completed correctly
- all of the required documents were provided
- all of the eligibility criteria were satisfied
- the applicant was inadmissible (e.g., for health or security reasons)
- the applicant is from a country with a large backlog of EB-1 applicants
What is the approval rate of EB-1?
During Fiscal Year 2022 (FY-2022), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 25,976 Form I-140 Petitions for the EB-1 Immigrant Visa and approved 17,718 petitions, which was an approval rate of about 68.2 percent.
The EB-1 approval rate for I-140 Petitions in each of the three sub-categories during FY-2022 was as follows:
- EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) – 10,481 petitions received and 5,623 approved = 53.6% approval rate
- EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher or Professor) – 4,322 petitions received and 3,744 approved = 86.6% approval rate
- EB-1C (Multinational Executive or Manager) – 11,173 petitions received and 8,351 approved = 74.7% approval rate
Thus, the EB-1 approval rate for the Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers is relatively high, with the majority of petitions that are filed being approved.
What should I do to maximize my chances of EB-1 approval?
In order to maximize your chances for EB-1 approval, you should:
- Find out if you satisfy the eligibility criteria before you apply
- Make sure you complete your government forms correctly
- Be careful to include the required documents and fees
- Try to provide more than the minimum evidence of meeting the EB-1 criteria (make a strong case)
Conclusion
Thousands of skilled foreign workers immigrate to the United States as US permanent residents every year through the EB-1 Immigrant Visa Program.
The success rate of EB-1 applicants is relatively high, with most Form I-140 petitions getting approved.
It is worth noting that in addition to the thousands of skilled foreign workers who receive EB-1 approval, there is an even larger number of family members (i.e., spouse and dependent children unmarried under 21 years of age) who also receive Immigrant Visas through the EB-1 Visa Program.
Furthermore, approximately 140,000 people immigrate to the United States each year through the five major categories of the Employment-Based (EB) Immigrant Visa and Green Card Program (i.e., through the EB-1 EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 categories).
There are also other US immigration pathways, such as family sponsorship, the Diversity Visa Program, seeking asylum and refugee programs.
Besides these, hundreds of thousands of people move to the USA on a temporary basis with Non-Immigrant Visas, including temporary work visas (such as the H-1B Work Visa) and student visas (for example, the F-1 Student Visa).
Each US visa program has its own eligibility requirements and application procedure.
So, how can you know which of the many US visas you are eligible to apply for?
Since 2001, USAFIS has been helping to simplify the US immigration process for thousands of people worldwide.
USAFIS can provide you with a US Visa Assessment to inform you about your best option(s) to apply for an Immigrant Visa and/or Non-Immigrant Visa to the United States.
We also offer other services to help your US immigration process go as smoothly as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What is the success rate of EB-1?
The overall EB-1 approval rate for Form I-140 Petitions filed with USCIS during Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 was 68.2 percent. For the EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) sub-category, the Form I-140 Petition approval rate was 53.6 percent; for the EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher or Professor) sub-category it was 86.6 percent; and for the EB-1C (Multinational Executive or Manager) sub-category it was 74.7 percent.
How hard is it to get an EB-1 Visa?
There is generally a lot of documentation that must be provided in order to get an EB-1 Visa, so gathering all of the documents and showing evidence of meeting the eligibility criteria can be rather difficult and time-consuming. It is more challenging to get an EB-1 Visa through the Extraordinary Ability sub-category than via the Outstanding Researcher or Professor and the Multinational Executive or Manager sub-categories. Nevertheless, there is a relatively high success rate of EB-1 Form I-140 Petitions being approved and thousands of EB-1 Immigrant Visas and Green Cards are issued every year.
How do success rates differ among EB-1 sub-categories?
The EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher or Professor) sub-category has the highest success rate of EB-1 Form I-140 Petitions being approved (86.6% in FY-2022); followed by the EB-1C (Multinational Executive or Manager) sub-category with a 74.7% approval rate; and then the EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) sub-category with a Form I-140 Petition approval rate of 53.6% (all a majority of approvals).
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