How Many Citations Do I Need for a Green Card?
How many citations must I accumulate to be eligible for a green card?
The EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card offers permanent residency in the United States to individuals who can demonstrate that they have extraordinary ability in the arts, athletics, business, education or the sciences; outstanding researchers and professors with international recognition in a specific field; or certain multinational executives or managers.
In order for an applicant to prove that he or she has extraordinary ability or is an outstanding researcher or professor, certain types of evidence must be provided, which may include major awards for achievement, citations in professional or scholarly publications, etc.
This article will focus on the EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card and meeting the citations criteria, so keep reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
What is the EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card?
The EB-1 is one of the Employment-Based Green Cards granted to skilled foreign workers who meet certain eligibility criteria.
There are 140,000 Employment-Based Green Cards available to be issued each year, which allow skilled foreign workers and their family members to live, study and work in the USA for an unlimited amount of time as permanent residents of the United States.
EB-1 Green Cards are available to three categories of skilled foreign workers:
- Skilled Foreign Workers with Extraordinary Ability Nationally or Internationally Recognized in:
- Arts
- Athletics
- Business
- Education
- Sciences
- Outstanding Researchers and Professors with International Recognition
- Particular Multinational Executives or Managers
All three of these EB-1 Green Card categories do not require labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Skilled foreign workers applying for an EB-1 Green Card under the Extraordinary Ability category do not need a job offer from an employer in the United States and can file their own Form I-140 Petition for Alien Worker with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
By comparison, outstanding researchers and professors, as well as particular multinational executives or managers, who want to apply for the EB-1 Green Card will need their employer in the U.S. to file the Form I-140 Petition for Alien Worker with USCIS.
If approved for an EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card, a skilled foreign worker and his or her spouse and unmarried dependent children under 21 years of age can enjoy many benefits such as to:
- Live in the USA in any of the 50 states for an unlimited period of time
- Legally work in the United States
- Study at US educational institutions
- Have the options to purchase a home and start a business in the USA
- Sponsor eligible family members for a Green Card
- Travel to and from the United States (certain regulations apply)
- Apply for American citizenship after living in the USA for 5 years
What is a citation in regards to the EB-1 Green Card?
There are different criteria that EB-1 Green Card applicants can use to demonstrate that they have Extraordinary Ability or to show that they are an Outstanding Researcher or Professor, including by providing citations.
Citations may include, for example, content that an EB-1 Green Card applicant had written and published in scholarly, scientific, trade or professional media or publications, such as books or journals.
A citation could also include, for example, content written and published about the EB-1 Green Card applicant by others, discussing their extraordinary ability or outstanding academic contribution, in scholarly, scientific, trade or professional media or publications.
How do citations affect a Green Card application?
Citations help to support the claim an EB-1 Green Card applicant is making, that he or she has extraordinary ability that is nationally or internationally recognized or to show that they are an outstanding researcher or professor who is internationally recognized.
The more citations (or other criteria) an EB-1 Green Card applicant has, the stronger their case for being granted U.S. permanent residency through this program.
For example, someone who claims to be an outstanding researcher should have many citations of their research published in journals, books, media, etc.
How many citations are needed for a Green Card application?
This depends on which EB-1 Green Card category is being applied for and what other criteria an applicant satisfies, but the more citations, the better for the Extraordinary Ability and the Outstanding Researcher or Professor categories.
In general, an EB-1 Green Card applicant (with the exception of those in the Multinational Executives and Managers category) should have at least 100 citations to make their case; however, 200-300 citations would be best for this competitive process.
Importance of understanding Green Card citation requirements
An EB-1 Green Card applicant should understand the importance of having sufficient citations to support his or her case for being granted U.S. permanent residency.
Citations demonstrate that accomplishments have been made by an EB-1 Green Card applicant.
Even for someone who has received major national or international awards or prizes, it is helpful if articles were also published showcasing such achievements.
Conclusion
The EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card is for people who not only have ability, but who demonstrate extraordinary ability.
There are thousands of good researchers and professors in the world, but the EB-1 Green Card is reserved for those who are outstanding in their field.
How can a USCIS officer assess whether an EB-1 Green Card applicant is extraordinary or outstanding?
The number of citations are important, tangible measures that are used when deciding whether an applicant qualifies for an EB-1 Employment-Based Green Card.
There are other criteria used to determine whether an applicant is eligible to receive an EB-1 Green Card.
Furthermore, the EB-1 Green Card is only one of the pathways to legally live and work in the USA.
USAFIS can provide you with a U.S. Visa Assessment that will examine your relevant details and let you know which visa option best matches your particular profile.
Additional services are also available to help make your relocation procedure go as smoothly as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What types of citations are required?
Examples of citations that can support an EB-1 Green Card application include: articles written by you that were published in major media, trade or professional publications; scholarly books in the field written by you that were published and have international circulation; as well as publications written by others about you and your achievements in the field that were published in major media, trade or professional publications.
How many citations are typically needed?
The number of citations required depends on which EB-1 Green Card category you are applying under and what other criteria you have satisfied. In general, at least 100 citations should be provided for individuals with extraordinary ability or outstanding researchers or professors; however, 200-300 citations would be better in lieu of the competition for EB-1 Green Cards.
Can I submit more citations than required?
It is better to submit more citations than required than not enough citations when applying for the EB-1 Green Card.
What if I can't provide the required citations?
In the event that you cannot provide sufficient citations, you may be able to compensate by satisfying other EB-1 Green Card criteria. Alternatively, you might delay your EB-1 Green Card application, substantially increase the number of citations you have, and then apply. You need to at least meet the minimum eligibility criteria, however, it is best to do everything possible to clearly show eligibility for the EB-1 Green Card (i.e., more is better).
How do I know if my citations are sufficient?
It is difficult to know if you have sufficient citations and much will depend on which EB-1 Green Card category you are applying under, what other criteria you are satisfying and how strong those criteria are. The saying “more is better” applies when applying for the EB-1 Green Card, but the quality of the citation(s) and the other criteria are also important.
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