Disclaimer: The contents in this web site are only for your information and are not intended to be legal advice. While many of our applicants successfully obtain their I-140 approvals, the information here should not be considered as a guarantee of your green card application outcome.
What are my chances in EB1a?
Published Oct 5,2013
By GCforPhD
Hi
You have a very good chance of success in the EB1a category. However you still need to prepare a comprehensive petition with evidence supporting the uscis requirements.
i am a postdoc at univ of missouri with the following credentials (PhD from US univ):
1. 6 international journal publications with 100+ citations.
2. 2 grants securing USD 300K+.
3. An equation named after me ( cited by some other researcher in a published article)
4. Several other lesser acclaimed recognition and awards.
5. Reviewed work of others
6. 1 Patent. 2 provisional patents filed.
What would be my chances under EB1A category? It would be highly appreciated if you could let me know.
Thanks in advance
Posted in EB1A
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anand
10 years ago
Hi,
I have currently working as a Lab Specialist in a cancer institute in salt lake city. I have completed 5 yrs of post doc at UCSD and got my phd in singapore.
I have 10 publications with about 420 citations. I have also been a reviewer for two journals in my field andhave reviewed total of 4 papers.
EB1a is possible. From your description you probably satisfy the three of 10 regulatory requirements. You would also need to show the examiner that you are one among top of the field and your work has sustained national interest. You can see some example petitions to understand the application process.
Success depends on how well the entire petition is prepared.
Best of luck
Guest
10 years ago
I am a postdoc at a well know US university with the following credentials (PhD from Indian univ):
1. 9 international journal publications and 1 in Revision ( PNAS, FASEB, Biochemistry, Biophysical, BBA, NSMB and PEP) with 70+ citations.
2. Membership in SigmaXi.
3. 10 presentations
4. 4 papers Reviewed work of others for 4 different journals and 2 editorial boards
5. 5 reference letters ( 4 from USA and 1 from UK)
What would be my chances under EB1A category? It would be highly appreciated if you could let me know.
You have a good chance in EB1A. From your description you satisfy 3 or more EB1A criteria. In addition you need to show a) you are a top expert in the field b) your work has sustained national/international interest (if your citations are over 3 or more number of years, you can claim this). We normally suggest 7 or more recommendation letters.
Best of luck
Ramesh
9 years ago
What are my chances in EB1a?
13 Journal Articles – 12 conference proceedings – more than 40 presentations
100+ citations
Articles reviewed – 80+
Devloped a technique which is been implemented
Can get 8 independent letters – 4 USA – $ international
Please let me know my chances of EB1A.
Thanks
The credentials you mentioned can be used to show at-least three out of ten uscis EB1a criteria. Please see the link for the criteria.
In addition you also need to show
1. Petitioner is one of the small percentage of people who have risen to the very top of the field of endeavor.
2. Sustained national or international acclaim and that his or her achievements have been recognized in the field of expertise.
Since you have several publications that are well cited you can claim 2. If you can convince the examiner that you are at the very top of the field then you should be able to apply in EBa
Best wishes
GCforPhD
AJ
8 years ago
Hi GCforPhD,
I am a sixth year PhD student in Physics in an Ivy league university in US. I am expecting my degree in next few months and applying for postdocs in physics as well as in software industry. Assuming I take a postdoc position in a state university I was wondering what will be my chances for EB1A GC if I apply during postdoc? Currently I have 4 papers published in very good journals with total citation count 150+ (one paper has 110). I have not reviewed any papers but I will during post doc. As far as awards are concerned, in early years of my grad school, I got a 2 year prestigious fellowship by university named after a Nobel laureate who was prof at my university. (Don’t know how relevant this fellowship thing will be when I apply for GC as a postdoc). What is your opinion of my GC chances if I take up the postdoc position and apply for EB1A?
If you review a few articles, combined with rest of the evidence you mentioned, you may be able to satisfy 3 out of 10 criteria. Since you have good citations you should be able to meet the exceptional ability criteria and sustained interest criteria. EB1a is generally a hard but is still possible depending on how strong the reference letters are. NIW should be possible if you can show that your contribution is in the national interest. You can see our example petition to see how to plan and prepare your petition.
Paul
7 years ago
Hi, I would like to know my chances of EB1 A, I have 15 internationally good publications, with 13 first authors, reviewed (40 conference abstracts and 8 research papers). My citations are low (close to 40) as many of my papers are recent (2013 onward). PhS from Singapore and postdoc is in USA from one of the best labs in my field. During postdoc the work was supported by a big pharmaceutical company and 4-5 colleagues from there are willing to provide recommendations. Please suggest whether to risk for EB1A?
With the information you provided, it looks likely that you will be able to prepare a strong EB1A petition (please refer to the USCIS criteria for EB1A). Formally, there is no such formal criterion as a number of citations. Usually, it is good to have a good citation record, as it helps to show a sustained acclaim and recognition in the field. However, it is not necessary, if you can prove the acclaim and recognition by other means (using, e.g., reference letters). It is your role to educate the USCIS reviewer about what is important in your field, and what evidence to focus on (for example, having first author publications in internationally recognized journals while working in one of the best labs is a very strong point showing your performance of a leading or critical role in a distinguished organization). You can explain, like you did here, that the low citation level is due to the the fact that your publications are recent, so the officer understands that it is in no contradiction to the main body of evidences.
Regarding the recommendations, please take into account that it is not effective to take all of them from your colleagues working in only one organization, especially if you worked with them. Most of the letters should be from people, with whom you did not collaborate in the past, and it is good to have letters from people affiliated with different institutions, including non-U.S. ones.
We cannot suggest whether or not to risk, since the outcome depends on the strengths of the prepared petition, not only on the metrics. To estimate your chances, please refer to the DIY packets from this website for the manuals and examples of successful petitions.
Prasad Subramaniam
7 years ago
Hi
I have a Masters and Phd. in Chemical Biology from US university and presently a Postdoctoral Associate in a University for past 3+ years.
I Have 6 publications in journals of impact factors 5-19 (First author in paper in IF=19), garnered 145 citations, 1 approved patent, 2 pending patents, reviewed 20+ times for 10 different journals (includes IF 19 journal). Can provide Independent and dependent recommendations from experts all over the world
What are my chances for EB1A? Also, would my profile be good for Premium processing, as I have heard that Premium processing increases the chances for an RFE?
You have a good chance in obtaining EB1A. You can prepare a petition that will show that you satisfy at least 3 out of 10 USCIS criteria, http://www.greencardforphd.com/eb1a/extraordinary-ability-eb1a-and-uscis-criteria
such as being a judge of the work of others, scientific contributions of major significance in the field, authorship of scholarly articles in the field. You can use your citations to show sustained acclaim and reference letters to further solidify your points. Depending on the institution, you can probably use the first authorship in IF=19 journal and reference letters as an evidence of leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation. Please refer to DIY packets on this website to learn more on the details of the petition preparation and actual petition examples.
Hi, I would like to know chances of my EB1A case.I work in field of cancer immunotherapy. Combination of immunotherapeutic antibodies that I am using is highly clinically relevant and pfizer is recruiting patients to test it in human clinical trials. I have 5 research articles with only 8 citations as of now. Reason behind is that most of my papers are recent (Mostly after 2015). I did my masters and Ph.D. from one of best universities in India. I have received some travel awards to present my work in conferences. Altogether I have presented 5 papers in different conferences for which I mostly got travel/oral awards. Additionally, I have reviewed 24 papers for different journals and I am a editorial board member for atleast 3 journals. Recently I got an offer from a offer for Postdoctoral Research scientist position from a big pharma company. I also got several invitations from various journals for contributing papers in their journals. I want to now my chances for EB1A filling considering that my citations are really low.
Thanks a lot for such a useful resource in advance.
The number of citations is a useful metric to establish a sustained acclaim and recognition in the field of expertise that is required for EB1A, see the link. It is, however, not necessary to have many citations to satisfy this requirement. You may explain the few citations by the recent publications (as you did here) and focus on another type of evidence, such as the recommendation letters. If the letters state that your research has a great impact and is used in the field, then the number of citations is not that much relevant.
Regarding the chances, it is difficult to say something certain, since not only the number of publication matters, but also where they were published, if you are the first author and what is the reputation of the institution where the published research was performed. There are people, who obtained EB1A with similar formal credentials. In fact, as a coincidence, just a few days ago I had a conversation with a colleague of mine who got the EB1A with exactly 8 citations and also because he only recently started publishing papers. I do not think this case is very uncommon. Please familiarize yourself with the information at this website and our DIY packets for more information on how to prepare a strong case and feel free to ask any further questions.
Vivek
7 years ago
What are my chances for EB1-a?
5 publications (1 first author, 4 co author)
4 conference papers
2 conference presentations
Total citations 88 (84 independent)
2 patent applications (published online)
Reviewed for one of IEEE confereces (>60 abstracts)
Reviewed one journal article
I will be submitting 2 more first author within 2months time.
It is hard to judge by metrics only, but I could imagine a situation, in which it is possible, example: the papers are published in top journals in your field, the citation count is high for your field/career level and/or your recommendations assure you made a major contribution to the field that is used in several labs worldwide, you are the first author in a paper written in a famous institution (you played a key role in the project) and so on. Please have a look at our DIY packets to estimate your chances and, probably, find additional sources of evidence.
Sunil
7 years ago
Can someone please guide me about my chances for EB1-A?
PhD degree from Europe.
2 years work experience.
7 Journal publications in top journals (mean IF = 5.0, 6 first author, 1 co author)
8 conference, 1 abstract papers
4 conference presentations
Total citations 24
1 patent application (filed)
Reviewed two journal articles.
Any inputs/suggestions would be helpful. Should i go to EB2-NIW?
Your credentials look good for EB1A (normally, 6 first author publications in top journals are enough to satisfy several EB1A eligibility criteria). The only obstacle for you is the small number of citations. Normally, one can explain it by the size of the community and/or the time of publication (new papers did not have time to accumulate citations). Judging by the mean IF = 5.0, the former might not be true, but the latter might be fine due to 2 years work experience. You can also compensate the number of citations by the recommendation letters proving that your ideas and methods are used widely in several national and international labs.
EB2-NIW, besides the formal eligibility requirements, has an important difference comparing to EB1A, which is a backlog in available green cards for persons born in India and mainland China. For example, if you were born in India (please excuse me if my assumption is wrong!), then even if your I-140 is approved, you will have to wait for several years before you can file I-485. Currently, only those nationals of India can file I-485, who filed I-140 before 15APR08, see the link below https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletin-feb-17
YazRad
7 years ago
What are my chances for eb1a??
-Hold MD degree , with boards in a subspecialty in a small field (radiation oncology), from my country (not China or India).
– current position :chief of residents in in one of top 5 leading cancer center in USA
-served as a member in national US committee for one year
– 15 publication (with 5 first author and 10 coauthor) with IF ranging from 1-15
-40 citation only which worries me. Cutation for recent publications, and mainly for non first author projects
– one international award, and one national award, and one paper selected as best of 2016 (second author)
– 40 abstracts (poster)presented in national and international meetings (*but all in US) and 2 first author oral presentations.
– published news about project 7times (but in projects where I am second and third author)
– reviews two articles for 2 journal and two applications for grants.
– 8 recommendation letters with 3 from outside but US institutes, highlighting my work
It looks like you should be able to prepare a good case. The high number of citations is good but not necessary. You can explain your citation level by the fact that the field is small and the publications are recent. You can focus on the recommendation letters instead, where it will be stated how your methods and results are widely used elsewhere. I know several cases that were approved with as little as about 10 citations (one of them was posted just few days ago at this forum).
Ceclia Chen
6 years ago
Can someone please guide me about my chances for EB1-A?
PhD degree from America and currently a posdoc fellow.
10 Journal publications (3 first author (1 first author IF= 14, other IF between 4-5), 7 co-author (IF between 4-8), 1 book chapter)
9 conference presentations
Total citations 175 right now
SigmaXi membership from US.
I will have 3-4 more publications and 3 more presentations in the conference this year.
With these credentials you should be able to satisfy at least 2 USCIS criteria (3 are required, see the link below):
[*] Evidence of your original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance to the field
[*] Evidence of your authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media
as well as the sustained acclaim and recognition (if most of those citations were acquired within the past several years,).
If those first-authored publications were written in some well-known institutions, then you may also qualify for
[*] Evidence of your performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations
If you have been a referee for scientific journals, then you also qualify for
[*] Evidence that you have been asked to judge the work of others, either individually or on a panel
To conclude, the credentials you provided do not qualify you for EB1A, but, most probably, you have some other materials that can help you.
Hello
I have 23 publications another 10 publications will come within a year (impact factor 7, 8, and lower), 100 citations, working on cancer therapy/imaging, antibiotic-resistant bacterial therapy, 3-provisional patent to be filled, topic associate editors for a journal (i.F 4.4), hold Ph.D. (from India) and now working as research associate, reviewed 10 papers (i.F 7.8, and 9), editorial member of open access journals (total 3). Can able to get 5-6 reference letters from the US.
Could you please say, whether i am eligible to apply for EB1A green card right now?
Does sigma X membership count as a point? Please suggest the weakness of my CV that needs to be imprived.
Thank you very much
Regards
SS
Credentials alone are not enough to establish your chances of getting EB1A, but I know several cases with similar figures that were approved in the past, so you should definitely try to prepare a case. You can have a look at the free information on our website to get more familiar with the USCIS criteria and you can also download our DIY-packets to work out the details needed for a successful EB1A petition.
Sigma X (Xi?) (Full?) membership can count, if you show how it satisfies the USCIS category plain language (see the explanation of the membership criterion by the link below, which is an RFE template) http://bit.ly/EB1ARFE
The Don
6 years ago
Hello,
I have 8 publications all in leading international journals in my field and indexed in pubmed (7 first author).
I received a MS from a top UK university and PhD from a US state univeristy.
Have been a PostDoc in another US state university and a visiting scientist in a national lab for a little over 2 years.
I have a few awards, mostly travel grants.
My publications have received 24 citations (20 independent; including FDA, and national labs in China, Czech, Austria, and Russia).
My research was conducted in a US national lab.
I have 6 experts from US, including 3 chairs of departments of US Universities ready to write recommendation letters.
Do you think I have a good profile to apply for EB1A or EB2 NIW?
My citation numbers are a little bit of a worry, but most of my papers were published in 2016 and 2017.
You seem to have a good profile. Before I proceed, could you please let me know your country of birth, because the options will be different depending on that.
Don
6 years ago
Hey Tigran,
I come fron Kenya
Don
6 years ago
Other Information
I have done a couple (~3) of journal reviews
I have presented my work (about 8 times) in international conferences) and in the national lab.
I have been invited by over 100 journals, conferences, and institutes to present my work, write review, or submit manuscripts
Don
6 years ago
Thanks for your feed back, you think I qualify for any of the GC categories?
Taking into account your credentials and the field of research (related to medicine), I think you have a perfect opportunity to apply for EB2-NIW. This was the reason I asked you about your country of birth, because for Kenya there is no backlog in the NIW category. With EB1A it might be more difficult with these few citations. In the past we recommended few ways around this, such as to focus more on the reference letters and explaining that the citations are recent. However, from the messages I receive, it looks like the citations started playing a more significant role recently (maybe temporarily). If you decide to go forward with the petition(s), please consider our DIY packets for examples and detailed manuals: http://www.greencardforphd.com/purchase
Also, please feel free to ask further questions in this forum.
Don
6 years ago
Hey Tigran,
Thank you for the advise. I am going to go for the EB2 NIW as suggested.
It is very hard to nail down the criteria and adjudicating standards of the USCIS in approving EB1 A and EB2 NIW cases, it appears they approve every case based on its own merit. I looked at the ”Dhanasar framework” for adjudicating NIWs, and it appears really flexible to satisfy the standards/requirements.
Thanks a lot, and I will get the DIY package and let you know how it turns out.
Yes, Dhanasar’s case makes the standards more transparent. Thanks and good luck!
Sid
6 years ago
Hi Tigran,
Could you let me know what my chances are for EB1A.
1. MS (2009) and PhD (2013) from a top 10 US University in my field (Civil Engg)
2. Member of Phi Kappa Phi
3. Published a total of 27 articles (journal papers and conferences)
4. Total citation count = 180;
5. My PhD research was continued by two more PhD students (both funded through the National Science Foundation. Combined award amount ~ $600,000)
6. Performed journal review for 6 articles
7. Currently working in the industry (4 years) (same field as my PhD; industry experience in Civil engineering is highly desirable)
8. Can get recommendation letters from leading individuals/pioneers (professors and practitioners) in my specialization
How many of the peer-reviewed publications were having you as the first author? What portion of citations (approximately) did you get in, say, the past 4 years?
Number of peer-reviewed publications as first author = 8
as second author = 12
third or fourth = 7
h-index = 9
i10 index = 7
In my field, multi author papers is quite common due to the type of work.
Since 2014, I had 117 citations (65% of total citation count)
Pure metrics are not enough to establish whether or not you are eligible for EB1A (please have a look at the list by the link below). However, let me state that I know successful petitions with similar credentials. Please feel free to ask further questions in this thread.
I have one research article and 1 review article in internationally recognized journals. I also have 2 conferences papers, I am member of Sigma Xi and have reviewed 2 papers for a scientific journal. What do you think are my chances of getting EB1 EA approved?
How many citations do you have? Are you the first author in those papers?
dynal
6 years ago
Hello,
1. I received a PhD major in molecular pharmacology.
2. 5 international journal publications with 150+ citations. Google h-index 5, i10-index 4.
3. Reviewed 12 work of others for 4 peer journals.
How many of those articles have you as the first author?
Dev
6 years ago
Hello Tigran
Can you please let me know my chances for EB1A application.
1) BS, MS, PhD from India in Cancer Biology
2) 25 Research articles (IF- 1 to 10 ) ( 6 first authors IF ranging from 3 – 9)
3) Reviewed more than 50 research articles from 20 different journals
4) Citations approximately – 600
5) Associate Editor of Two international journals with IF – 2
6) Citations from 2012, increases 1-1/2 times every year
7) Received 2 Travel awards
This looks like a good solid case for EB1A. Please think about formulating the name of the field in a narrower manner.
Feel free to ask further questions in this thread.
Rui
5 years ago
Hi Tigran,
Could you let me know my chance to EB-1A?
1) as an assistant professor since 2014 in soil science, in a top university of China
2) 17 research papers (8 in top journal) (8 as first author)
3) reviewed 5 paper from 4 journals
4) citations 326 (300 since 2013)
5) h-index=8
6) acting as PI of 4 grants (about 400,000 dollors)
Yes, this might be a good case for EB1A. I can see that you can satisfy 3 USCIS criteria for EB1A and, depending on the reputation of your university, you could satisfy one more (performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations).
Please have a look at our free e-book and our DIY-packets, and feel free to ask for further questions in this thread.
Ankur Gupta
5 years ago
Very informative website. Thank you for this request portal.
What do you think of EB1a or EB1B?
1) MD from India, MSc top University in Europe, Fellowship in specialized medical branch;
2) Assistant professor with a higher salary compared to other folks in my field
3) 13 research papers (6 as the first author)
4) reviewed 9 paper from 5 journals (60% in high impact journal
5) scientific blogger for American heart association and reviewed 8 papers
6) citations 140
7) h-index=4
8) 4 research related awards
9) 4 conference paper
10) 10 conference presentations
11) International scholarship for selection in Masters degree
12) Editorial board member in 3 journals
Thank you for the kind words. Currently, we are observing the bar for EB1A being raised, however, we do not have enough statistics to see what would be sufficient for a successful case. Let me state, that in the past the credentials you mentioned would be good for a successful EB1A case. It would, probably, make more sense to monitor the situation with lawyers (who have more cases going through them) to identify the right moment to apply (usually, the first consultation with immigration attorneys is free).
Speaking of the EB1B, it all depends on your institution. You must have a permanent job offer from them in order to apply. If you have such a contract, the institution would normally pay to a lawyer to handle the case.
physan
5 years ago
Hi, Please let me know if I can make it for EB-1A
1. 15+ research experience in my field
2. 42 peer reviewed publications in top journals of my field (18 first author)
3. 237 citations (Google Scholar, including self citations)
4. Reviewed 20 articles for top peer-reviewed journals in my field (including review articles)
5. Can produce 10+ recommendations from leading researchers from my field from USA, Japan, India, UK
6. Represented India in a Topical Group of a top Physics activity group in my field of research
7. Secured the prestigious MEXT fellowship for pursuing PhD in Japan – am a PhD from a leading University in Japan
8. Secured Research Grant
9. Served as a Scientist for Dept. of Atomic Energy, India for 15+ years
10. Working as a Research Scientist in a USA University now
In the past (a year ago or so), your credentials were good for a successful EB1A case. These days, it is unpredictable and your chances of being approved/denied are the same. You can try with the help of our do-it-yourself packets, but you have to be prepared to receive an unreasonable response from USCIS instead of approval (professional lawyers experience same problems).
Could you please let me know if I am a suitable candidate for EB1-A in my field? (Indian)
1. Currently, a PhD student in a US university in the field of Rehabilitation Science/Physical therapy
2. 6 years of Physical therapist (clinical) experience in India. Now a licensed Physical therapist in the US
3. 9 Publications (4 as 1st Author and one Correspondence author)
4. 5 peer review conference papers
5. Reviewer for 15 manuscripts
6. Can collect 7/8 recommendation letters from US, India, UK
7. 150+ citations
A few years ago, your credentials would have been good enough to file a successful EB1A case (after obtaining PhD title). These days, the number of citations is a limiting factor. When do you finish the grad school? Maybe it makes sense to wait a bit until you get the title and then apply? You will accumulate more citations by then, too.
Hello,
Could you please tell me if my profile fits for eb1A application?
I am an Indian origin.
1) Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from one of India’s Top 5 universities.
2) MS and PhD in chemical engineering from US university.
3) 8 publications (3 first authors, 4 second authors, 1 third author; IF: 4-7)
4) 75 citations
5) Reviewed 5 articles from 4 different prestigious journals
6) 10+ Poster and Oral presentations in International Conferences
7) Receive student traval award and nominated for the best poster in one of the conferences
8) Received best graduate student award in the university
9) Image from my work was selected for the cover page for one of the prestigious journals.
10) Working as a Postdoctoral in a startup company. I’m the only scientist in the company developing products.
11) Products developed are used by top research institutes and pharmaceutical companies for research and clinical applications.
12) Will be applying for a patent in a month
The citation count could be an obstacle in your case. Do you expect that the number of citations will go up quickly in the near future? In the past it was possible to argue that the low citation count can be attributed to the narrow field of research, but the requirements are becoming more stringent these days.
Disclaimer: The contents in this web site are only for your information and are not intended to be legal advice. While many of our applicants successfully obtain their I-140 approvals, the information here should not be considered as a guarantee of your green card application outcome.
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Hi,
I have currently working as a Lab Specialist in a cancer institute in salt lake city. I have completed 5 yrs of post doc at UCSD and got my phd in singapore.
I have 10 publications with about 420 citations. I have also been a reviewer for two journals in my field andhave reviewed total of 4 papers.
I was wondering what my chances of EB1A were?
thanks,,
Hi
EB1a is possible. From your description you probably satisfy the three of 10 regulatory requirements. You would also need to show the examiner that you are one among top of the field and your work has sustained national interest. You can see some example petitions to understand the application process.
Best of luck
Hey, what are my chances for EB1-A:
Publications:11
Citations:316
Papers review: 130 (for 26 journals)
I would appreciate your kind help.
Hi
There is a possibility you have good chances. What you mentioned suggests you satisfy the two-part extraordinary ability criteria and uscis criteria. Please take a look at http://www.greencardforphd.com/eb1a/extraordinary-ability-eb1a-and-uscis-criteria.
Success depends on how well the entire petition is prepared.
Best of luck
I am a postdoc at a well know US university with the following credentials (PhD from Indian univ):
1. 9 international journal publications and 1 in Revision ( PNAS, FASEB, Biochemistry, Biophysical, BBA, NSMB and PEP) with 70+ citations.
2. Membership in SigmaXi.
3. 10 presentations
4. 4 papers Reviewed work of others for 4 different journals and 2 editorial boards
5. 5 reference letters ( 4 from USA and 1 from UK)
What would be my chances under EB1A category? It would be highly appreciated if you could let me know.
Thanks in advance
Sincerely
XX
Hi
You have a good chance in EB1A. From your description you satisfy 3 or more EB1A criteria. In addition you need to show a) you are a top expert in the field b) your work has sustained national/international interest (if your citations are over 3 or more number of years, you can claim this). We normally suggest 7 or more recommendation letters.
Best of luck
What are my chances in EB1a?
13 Journal Articles – 12 conference proceedings – more than 40 presentations
100+ citations
Articles reviewed – 80+
Devloped a technique which is been implemented
Can get 8 independent letters – 4 USA – $ international
Please let me know my chances of EB1A.
Thanks
The credentials you mentioned can be used to show at-least three out of ten uscis EB1a criteria. Please see the link for the criteria.
In addition you also need to show
1. Petitioner is one of the small percentage of people who have risen to the very top of the field of endeavor.
2. Sustained national or international acclaim and that his or her achievements have been recognized in the field of expertise.
Since you have several publications that are well cited you can claim 2. If you can convince the examiner that you are at the very top of the field then you should be able to apply in EBa
Best wishes
GCforPhD
Hi GCforPhD,
I am a sixth year PhD student in Physics in an Ivy league university in US. I am expecting my degree in next few months and applying for postdocs in physics as well as in software industry. Assuming I take a postdoc position in a state university I was wondering what will be my chances for EB1A GC if I apply during postdoc? Currently I have 4 papers published in very good journals with total citation count 150+ (one paper has 110). I have not reviewed any papers but I will during post doc. As far as awards are concerned, in early years of my grad school, I got a 2 year prestigious fellowship by university named after a Nobel laureate who was prof at my university. (Don’t know how relevant this fellowship thing will be when I apply for GC as a postdoc). What is your opinion of my GC chances if I take up the postdoc position and apply for EB1A?
Btw, thanks for these amazing resources.
If you review a few articles, combined with rest of the evidence you mentioned, you may be able to satisfy 3 out of 10 criteria. Since you have good citations you should be able to meet the exceptional ability criteria and sustained interest criteria. EB1a is generally a hard but is still possible depending on how strong the reference letters are. NIW should be possible if you can show that your contribution is in the national interest. You can see our example petition to see how to plan and prepare your petition.
Hi, I would like to know my chances of EB1 A, I have 15 internationally good publications, with 13 first authors, reviewed (40 conference abstracts and 8 research papers). My citations are low (close to 40) as many of my papers are recent (2013 onward). PhS from Singapore and postdoc is in USA from one of the best labs in my field. During postdoc the work was supported by a big pharmaceutical company and 4-5 colleagues from there are willing to provide recommendations. Please suggest whether to risk for EB1A?
Dear Paul,
With the information you provided, it looks likely that you will be able to prepare a strong EB1A petition (please refer to the USCIS criteria for EB1A). Formally, there is no such formal criterion as a number of citations. Usually, it is good to have a good citation record, as it helps to show a sustained acclaim and recognition in the field. However, it is not necessary, if you can prove the acclaim and recognition by other means (using, e.g., reference letters). It is your role to educate the USCIS reviewer about what is important in your field, and what evidence to focus on (for example, having first author publications in internationally recognized journals while working in one of the best labs is a very strong point showing your performance of a leading or critical role in a distinguished organization). You can explain, like you did here, that the low citation level is due to the the fact that your publications are recent, so the officer understands that it is in no contradiction to the main body of evidences.
Regarding the recommendations, please take into account that it is not effective to take all of them from your colleagues working in only one organization, especially if you worked with them. Most of the letters should be from people, with whom you did not collaborate in the past, and it is good to have letters from people affiliated with different institutions, including non-U.S. ones.
We cannot suggest whether or not to risk, since the outcome depends on the strengths of the prepared petition, not only on the metrics. To estimate your chances, please refer to the DIY packets from this website for the manuals and examples of successful petitions.
Hi
I have a Masters and Phd. in Chemical Biology from US university and presently a Postdoctoral Associate in a University for past 3+ years.
I Have 6 publications in journals of impact factors 5-19 (First author in paper in IF=19), garnered 145 citations, 1 approved patent, 2 pending patents, reviewed 20+ times for 10 different journals (includes IF 19 journal). Can provide Independent and dependent recommendations from experts all over the world
What are my chances for EB1A? Also, would my profile be good for Premium processing, as I have heard that Premium processing increases the chances for an RFE?
Dear Prasad,
You have a good chance in obtaining EB1A. You can prepare a petition that will show that you satisfy at least 3 out of 10 USCIS criteria,
http://www.greencardforphd.com/eb1a/extraordinary-ability-eb1a-and-uscis-criteria
such as being a judge of the work of others, scientific contributions of major significance in the field, authorship of scholarly articles in the field. You can use your citations to show sustained acclaim and reference letters to further solidify your points. Depending on the institution, you can probably use the first authorship in IF=19 journal and reference letters as an evidence of leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation. Please refer to DIY packets on this website to learn more on the details of the petition preparation and actual petition examples.
Regarding the dependence of the outcome on the way of processing, there are several contradicting to each other rumors circulating among lawyers and in the web. None of them, however, seem to have statistical significance. First, if you have a strong and transparent case, it is not that simple to give you a RFE, please refer to the USCIS RFE template,
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Outreach/Draft%20Request%20for%20Evidence%20(RFE)%20Template%20for%20Comment/E11_RFE_Template_1-10-11.pdf
You can also use this template as a checklist while preparing your petition. Second, if there are concerns on the delays after RFE, if premium processing is used, a new 15 calendar day period will begin upon receipt by USCIS of a complete response to the RFE or notice of intent to deny, see
https://www.uscis.gov/forms/how-do-i-use-premium-processing-service
Hi, I would like to know chances of my EB1A case.I work in field of cancer immunotherapy. Combination of immunotherapeutic antibodies that I am using is highly clinically relevant and pfizer is recruiting patients to test it in human clinical trials. I have 5 research articles with only 8 citations as of now. Reason behind is that most of my papers are recent (Mostly after 2015). I did my masters and Ph.D. from one of best universities in India. I have received some travel awards to present my work in conferences. Altogether I have presented 5 papers in different conferences for which I mostly got travel/oral awards. Additionally, I have reviewed 24 papers for different journals and I am a editorial board member for atleast 3 journals. Recently I got an offer from a offer for Postdoctoral Research scientist position from a big pharma company. I also got several invitations from various journals for contributing papers in their journals. I want to now my chances for EB1A filling considering that my citations are really low.
Thanks a lot for such a useful resource in advance.
Hi Payal,
The number of citations is a useful metric to establish a sustained acclaim and recognition in the field of expertise that is required for EB1A, see the link. It is, however, not necessary to have many citations to satisfy this requirement. You may explain the few citations by the recent publications (as you did here) and focus on another type of evidence, such as the recommendation letters. If the letters state that your research has a great impact and is used in the field, then the number of citations is not that much relevant.
Regarding the chances, it is difficult to say something certain, since not only the number of publication matters, but also where they were published, if you are the first author and what is the reputation of the institution where the published research was performed. There are people, who obtained EB1A with similar formal credentials. In fact, as a coincidence, just a few days ago I had a conversation with a colleague of mine who got the EB1A with exactly 8 citations and also because he only recently started publishing papers. I do not think this case is very uncommon. Please familiarize yourself with the information at this website and our DIY packets for more information on how to prepare a strong case and feel free to ask any further questions.
What are my chances for EB1-a?
5 publications (1 first author, 4 co author)
4 conference papers
2 conference presentations
Total citations 88 (84 independent)
2 patent applications (published online)
Reviewed for one of IEEE confereces (>60 abstracts)
Reviewed one journal article
I will be submitting 2 more first author within 2months time.
Please let me know.
Thanks
Dear Vivek,
It is hard to judge by metrics only, but I could imagine a situation, in which it is possible, example: the papers are published in top journals in your field, the citation count is high for your field/career level and/or your recommendations assure you made a major contribution to the field that is used in several labs worldwide, you are the first author in a paper written in a famous institution (you played a key role in the project) and so on. Please have a look at our DIY packets to estimate your chances and, probably, find additional sources of evidence.
Can someone please guide me about my chances for EB1-A?
PhD degree from Europe.
2 years work experience.
7 Journal publications in top journals (mean IF = 5.0, 6 first author, 1 co author)
8 conference, 1 abstract papers
4 conference presentations
Total citations 24
1 patent application (filed)
Reviewed two journal articles.
Any inputs/suggestions would be helpful. Should i go to EB2-NIW?
Thanks
Hi Sunil,
Your credentials look good for EB1A (normally, 6 first author publications in top journals are enough to satisfy several EB1A eligibility criteria). The only obstacle for you is the small number of citations. Normally, one can explain it by the size of the community and/or the time of publication (new papers did not have time to accumulate citations). Judging by the mean IF = 5.0, the former might not be true, but the latter might be fine due to 2 years work experience. You can also compensate the number of citations by the recommendation letters proving that your ideas and methods are used widely in several national and international labs.
EB2-NIW, besides the formal eligibility requirements, has an important difference comparing to EB1A, which is a backlog in available green cards for persons born in India and mainland China. For example, if you were born in India (please excuse me if my assumption is wrong!), then even if your I-140 is approved, you will have to wait for several years before you can file I-485. Currently, only those nationals of India can file I-485, who filed I-140 before 15APR08, see the link below
https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletin-feb-17
What are my chances for eb1a??
-Hold MD degree , with boards in a subspecialty in a small field (radiation oncology), from my country (not China or India).
– current position :chief of residents in in one of top 5 leading cancer center in USA
-served as a member in national US committee for one year
– 15 publication (with 5 first author and 10 coauthor) with IF ranging from 1-15
-40 citation only which worries me. Cutation for recent publications, and mainly for non first author projects
– one international award, and one national award, and one paper selected as best of 2016 (second author)
– 40 abstracts (poster)presented in national and international meetings (*but all in US) and 2 first author oral presentations.
– published news about project 7times (but in projects where I am second and third author)
– reviews two articles for 2 journal and two applications for grants.
– 8 recommendation letters with 3 from outside but US institutes, highlighting my work
What are my chances?
It looks like you should be able to prepare a good case. The high number of citations is good but not necessary. You can explain your citation level by the fact that the field is small and the publications are recent. You can focus on the recommendation letters instead, where it will be stated how your methods and results are widely used elsewhere. I know several cases that were approved with as little as about 10 citations (one of them was posted just few days ago at this forum).
Can someone please guide me about my chances for EB1-A?
PhD degree from America and currently a posdoc fellow.
10 Journal publications (3 first author (1 first author IF= 14, other IF between 4-5), 7 co-author (IF between 4-8), 1 book chapter)
9 conference presentations
Total citations 175 right now
SigmaXi membership from US.
I will have 3-4 more publications and 3 more presentations in the conference this year.
Thanks
With these credentials you should be able to satisfy at least 2 USCIS criteria (3 are required, see the link below):
[*] Evidence of your original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance to the field
[*] Evidence of your authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media
as well as the sustained acclaim and recognition (if most of those citations were acquired within the past several years,).
If those first-authored publications were written in some well-known institutions, then you may also qualify for
[*] Evidence of your performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations
If you have been a referee for scientific journals, then you also qualify for
[*] Evidence that you have been asked to judge the work of others, either individually or on a panel
To conclude, the credentials you provided do not qualify you for EB1A, but, most probably, you have some other materials that can help you.
Source: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-first-preference-eb-1
Hello
I have 23 publications another 10 publications will come within a year (impact factor 7, 8, and lower), 100 citations, working on cancer therapy/imaging, antibiotic-resistant bacterial therapy, 3-provisional patent to be filled, topic associate editors for a journal (i.F 4.4), hold Ph.D. (from India) and now working as research associate, reviewed 10 papers (i.F 7.8, and 9), editorial member of open access journals (total 3). Can able to get 5-6 reference letters from the US.
Could you please say, whether i am eligible to apply for EB1A green card right now?
Does sigma X membership count as a point? Please suggest the weakness of my CV that needs to be imprived.
Thank you very much
Regards
SS
Hi Samu,
Credentials alone are not enough to establish your chances of getting EB1A, but I know several cases with similar figures that were approved in the past, so you should definitely try to prepare a case. You can have a look at the free information on our website to get more familiar with the USCIS criteria and you can also download our DIY-packets to work out the details needed for a successful EB1A petition.
Sigma X (Xi?) (Full?) membership can count, if you show how it satisfies the USCIS category plain language (see the explanation of the membership criterion by the link below, which is an RFE template)
http://bit.ly/EB1ARFE
Hello,
I have 8 publications all in leading international journals in my field and indexed in pubmed (7 first author).
I received a MS from a top UK university and PhD from a US state univeristy.
Have been a PostDoc in another US state university and a visiting scientist in a national lab for a little over 2 years.
I have a few awards, mostly travel grants.
My publications have received 24 citations (20 independent; including FDA, and national labs in China, Czech, Austria, and Russia).
My research was conducted in a US national lab.
I have 6 experts from US, including 3 chairs of departments of US Universities ready to write recommendation letters.
Do you think I have a good profile to apply for EB1A or EB2 NIW?
My citation numbers are a little bit of a worry, but most of my papers were published in 2016 and 2017.
Hi Don,
You seem to have a good profile. Before I proceed, could you please let me know your country of birth, because the options will be different depending on that.
Hey Tigran,
I come fron Kenya
Other Information
I have done a couple (~3) of journal reviews
I have presented my work (about 8 times) in international conferences) and in the national lab.
I have been invited by over 100 journals, conferences, and institutes to present my work, write review, or submit manuscripts
Thanks for your feed back, you think I qualify for any of the GC categories?
Hi Don,
Taking into account your credentials and the field of research (related to medicine), I think you have a perfect opportunity to apply for EB2-NIW. This was the reason I asked you about your country of birth, because for Kenya there is no backlog in the NIW category. With EB1A it might be more difficult with these few citations. In the past we recommended few ways around this, such as to focus more on the reference letters and explaining that the citations are recent. However, from the messages I receive, it looks like the citations started playing a more significant role recently (maybe temporarily). If you decide to go forward with the petition(s), please consider our DIY packets for examples and detailed manuals:
http://www.greencardforphd.com/purchase
Also, please feel free to ask further questions in this forum.
Hey Tigran,
Thank you for the advise. I am going to go for the EB2 NIW as suggested.
It is very hard to nail down the criteria and adjudicating standards of the USCIS in approving EB1 A and EB2 NIW cases, it appears they approve every case based on its own merit. I looked at the ”Dhanasar framework” for adjudicating NIWs, and it appears really flexible to satisfy the standards/requirements.
Thanks a lot, and I will get the DIY package and let you know how it turns out.
Don
Yes, Dhanasar’s case makes the standards more transparent. Thanks and good luck!
Hi Tigran,
Could you let me know what my chances are for EB1A.
1. MS (2009) and PhD (2013) from a top 10 US University in my field (Civil Engg)
2. Member of Phi Kappa Phi
3. Published a total of 27 articles (journal papers and conferences)
4. Total citation count = 180;
5. My PhD research was continued by two more PhD students (both funded through the National Science Foundation. Combined award amount ~ $600,000)
6. Performed journal review for 6 articles
7. Currently working in the industry (4 years) (same field as my PhD; industry experience in Civil engineering is highly desirable)
8. Can get recommendation letters from leading individuals/pioneers (professors and practitioners) in my specialization
Thank you very much
Sid
Hi Sid,
How many of the peer-reviewed publications were having you as the first author? What portion of citations (approximately) did you get in, say, the past 4 years?
Number of peer-reviewed publications as first author = 8
as second author = 12
third or fourth = 7
h-index = 9
i10 index = 7
In my field, multi author papers is quite common due to the type of work.
Since 2014, I had 117 citations (65% of total citation count)
Hi Sid,
Pure metrics are not enough to establish whether or not you are eligible for EB1A (please have a look at the list by the link below). However, let me state that I know successful petitions with similar credentials. Please feel free to ask further questions in this thread.
http://www.greencardforphd.com/eb1a/extraordinary-ability-eb1a-and-uscis-criteria
I have one research article and 1 review article in internationally recognized journals. I also have 2 conferences papers, I am member of Sigma Xi and have reviewed 2 papers for a scientific journal. What do you think are my chances of getting EB1 EA approved?
Hi Sanjiv,
How many citations do you have? Are you the first author in those papers?
Hello,
1. I received a PhD major in molecular pharmacology.
2. 5 international journal publications with 150+ citations. Google h-index 5, i10-index 4.
3. Reviewed 12 work of others for 4 peer journals.
What would be my chances under EB1A category?
Thanks in advance
Hi Dynal,
How many of those articles have you as the first author?
Hello Tigran
Can you please let me know my chances for EB1A application.
1) BS, MS, PhD from India in Cancer Biology
2) 25 Research articles (IF- 1 to 10 ) ( 6 first authors IF ranging from 3 – 9)
3) Reviewed more than 50 research articles from 20 different journals
4) Citations approximately – 600
5) Associate Editor of Two international journals with IF – 2
6) Citations from 2012, increases 1-1/2 times every year
7) Received 2 Travel awards
Thank you
Hi Dev,
This looks like a good solid case for EB1A. Please think about formulating the name of the field in a narrower manner.
Feel free to ask further questions in this thread.
Hi Tigran,
Could you let me know my chance to EB-1A?
1) as an assistant professor since 2014 in soil science, in a top university of China
2) 17 research papers (8 in top journal) (8 as first author)
3) reviewed 5 paper from 4 journals
4) citations 326 (300 since 2013)
5) h-index=8
6) acting as PI of 4 grants (about 400,000 dollors)
Thank you!
Hi Rui,
Yes, this might be a good case for EB1A. I can see that you can satisfy 3 USCIS criteria for EB1A and, depending on the reputation of your university, you could satisfy one more (performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations).
Please have a look at our free e-book and our DIY-packets, and feel free to ask for further questions in this thread.
Very informative website. Thank you for this request portal.
What do you think of EB1a or EB1B?
1) MD from India, MSc top University in Europe, Fellowship in specialized medical branch;
2) Assistant professor with a higher salary compared to other folks in my field
3) 13 research papers (6 as the first author)
4) reviewed 9 paper from 5 journals (60% in high impact journal
5) scientific blogger for American heart association and reviewed 8 papers
6) citations 140
7) h-index=4
8) 4 research related awards
9) 4 conference paper
10) 10 conference presentations
11) International scholarship for selection in Masters degree
12) Editorial board member in 3 journals
Hi Ankur,
Thank you for the kind words. Currently, we are observing the bar for EB1A being raised, however, we do not have enough statistics to see what would be sufficient for a successful case. Let me state, that in the past the credentials you mentioned would be good for a successful EB1A case. It would, probably, make more sense to monitor the situation with lawyers (who have more cases going through them) to identify the right moment to apply (usually, the first consultation with immigration attorneys is free).
Speaking of the EB1B, it all depends on your institution. You must have a permanent job offer from them in order to apply. If you have such a contract, the institution would normally pay to a lawyer to handle the case.
Hi, Please let me know if I can make it for EB-1A
1. 15+ research experience in my field
2. 42 peer reviewed publications in top journals of my field (18 first author)
3. 237 citations (Google Scholar, including self citations)
4. Reviewed 20 articles for top peer-reviewed journals in my field (including review articles)
5. Can produce 10+ recommendations from leading researchers from my field from USA, Japan, India, UK
6. Represented India in a Topical Group of a top Physics activity group in my field of research
7. Secured the prestigious MEXT fellowship for pursuing PhD in Japan – am a PhD from a leading University in Japan
8. Secured Research Grant
9. Served as a Scientist for Dept. of Atomic Energy, India for 15+ years
10. Working as a Research Scientist in a USA University now
Hi physan,
In the past (a year ago or so), your credentials were good for a successful EB1A case. These days, it is unpredictable and your chances of being approved/denied are the same. You can try with the help of our do-it-yourself packets, but you have to be prepared to receive an unreasonable response from USCIS instead of approval (professional lawyers experience same problems).
If you were born in India (my first guess, please correct me if I am wrong), an additional obstacle would be the retrogression of the priority date. In other words, if your I-140 is approved, you may need to wait for many months until you will be eligible to file I-485. Currently, the waiting time is 15 months and is expected to become 25 months in February, please refer to the links below,
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2019/visa-bulletin-for-january-2019.html
https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo
Could you please let me know if I am a suitable candidate for EB1-A in my field? (Indian)
1. Currently, a PhD student in a US university in the field of Rehabilitation Science/Physical therapy
2. 6 years of Physical therapist (clinical) experience in India. Now a licensed Physical therapist in the US
3. 9 Publications (4 as 1st Author and one Correspondence author)
4. 5 peer review conference papers
5. Reviewer for 15 manuscripts
6. Can collect 7/8 recommendation letters from US, India, UK
7. 150+ citations
Good afternoon,
A few years ago, your credentials would have been good enough to file a successful EB1A case (after obtaining PhD title). These days, the number of citations is a limiting factor. When do you finish the grad school? Maybe it makes sense to wait a bit until you get the title and then apply? You will accumulate more citations by then, too.
Hello,
Could you please tell me if my profile fits for eb1A application?
I am an Indian origin.
1) Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from one of India’s Top 5 universities.
2) MS and PhD in chemical engineering from US university.
3) 8 publications (3 first authors, 4 second authors, 1 third author; IF: 4-7)
4) 75 citations
5) Reviewed 5 articles from 4 different prestigious journals
6) 10+ Poster and Oral presentations in International Conferences
7) Receive student traval award and nominated for the best poster in one of the conferences
8) Received best graduate student award in the university
9) Image from my work was selected for the cover page for one of the prestigious journals.
10) Working as a Postdoctoral in a startup company. I’m the only scientist in the company developing products.
11) Products developed are used by top research institutes and pharmaceutical companies for research and clinical applications.
12) Will be applying for a patent in a month
Hi Nilabh,
The citation count could be an obstacle in your case. Do you expect that the number of citations will go up quickly in the near future? In the past it was possible to argue that the low citation count can be attributed to the narrow field of research, but the requirements are becoming more stringent these days.