EB-1 Visa: Your Fast-Track Route to a US Green Card
EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-1C green card petitions for UK-based professionals, academics and multinational executives, handled from London with our US-based attorney.
Call 0207 100 2525 to speak to a specialist today. Available 24/7.
The EB-1 visa is the first-preference employment-based green card. It gives permanent US residence to people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers and executives, without PERM labour certification. For most applicants born in the UK, the EB-1 category is “current” in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. That means a green card number is available as soon as the petition is approved.
Adam Bernard Solicitors advises UK-based professionals, academics and companies on EB-1 petitions from our London offices. We work alongside our own US-based attorney and our affiliated US firm, Adam Bernard Attorneys. Call 0207 100 2525 or book a free consultation.
Last updated 6 October 2026.
What Is the EB-1 Visa?
The EB-1 is an immigrant visa (a green card), not a temporary work visa. It is the top tier of the US employment-based green card system. It receives 28.6% of the annual employment-based visa numbers, plus any numbers left unused by the EB-4 and EB-5 categories (State Department Visa Bulletin).
Three features set it apart from other employment-based green cards:
- No PERM labour certification. Your employer does not have to prove that no US worker is available. This removes what is usually the longest and costliest stage (State Department: Employment-Based Immigrant Visas).
- Self-petition for EB-1A. If you have extraordinary ability, you can file for yourself with no job offer and no sponsor.
- Short or no queue. For applicants born anywhere except China and India, EB-1 is currently “C” (current), so there is no backlog.
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get green cards as your dependants.
EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-1C: Which Category Fits You?
| EB-1A Extraordinary ability | EB-1B Outstanding professor or researcher | EB-1C Multinational manager or executive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Top performers in science, arts, education, business or athletics | Academics and researchers with international recognition | Managers and executives moving within a multinational group |
| Job offer needed? | No, you can self-petition | Yes, a permanent research or tenure-track post | Yes, from the US employer |
| Who files Form I-140 | You or an employer | US university, institution or private employer | US employer |
| Evidence test | A major international award or 3 of 10 criteria | 2 of 6 criteria + 3 years’ teaching or research | 1 year of managerial or executive work abroad in the last 3 years |
| Premium processing | 15 business days | 15 business days | 45 business days |
| Common feeder visa | O-1 visa | O-1 or H-1B | L-1A intra-company transfer |
EB-1A: extraordinary ability
To qualify for EB-1A, you must show sustained national or international acclaim and that you are among the small percentage at the very top of your field. You can meet the evidence test with a one-time major international award, such as a Nobel Prize or an Olympic medal. Otherwise you need at least 3 of these 10 criteria (8 CFR 204.5(h)):
- Lesser national or international prizes or awards for excellence
- Membership of associations that require outstanding achievement
- Published material about you in professional or major trade publications or major media
- Judging the work of others, individually or on a panel
- Original contributions of major significance to your field
- Authorship of scholarly articles in professional journals or major media
- Display of your work at artistic exhibitions or showcases
- A leading or critical role for distinguished organisations
- A high salary or other remuneration compared with others in your field
- Commercial success in the performing arts
Meeting three criteria is not enough on its own. USCIS uses a two-step review: it counts the criteria you meet, then makes a “final merits determination” on all the evidence together (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part F, Ch. 2). If a criterion doesn’t fit your profession, you can submit comparable evidence. A team award also counts if you are named as one of the recipients.
EB-1B: outstanding professors and researchers
EB-1B is for academics and researchers who are internationally recognised as outstanding and have at least three years’ teaching or research experience. You need a qualifying US job offer: a tenure or tenure-track post, or a comparable permanent research role at a university or a qualifying private employer. You must meet at least 2 of these 6 criteria (8 CFR 204.5(i)): major prizes or awards, membership of associations that require outstanding achievement, published material by others about your work, judging others’ work, original research contributions, and authorship of scholarly books or articles in journals with international circulation.
EB-1C: multinational managers and executives
EB-1C lets a multinational company transfer a manager or executive to the US permanently, with no PERM labour certification. You must have worked abroad in a managerial or executive role for at least one of the three years before the petition. That work must have been for the same company or a parent, branch, affiliate or subsidiary (8 CFR 204.5(j)). The US employer must have been doing business for at least one year. Many UK executives start on an L-1A visa and then move to EB-1C.
How to Get an EB-1 Green Card: Step by Step
Getting an EB-1 green card takes three stages. First, USCIS approves your Form I-140 petition. Next, your priority date must be current. Finally, you either adjust status inside the US or attend an immigrant visa interview abroad.
- Build the evidence file. Map your achievements to the criteria, then collect expert reference letters, citations, press coverage, salary evidence and organisational charts. Most of the work happens here.
- File Form I-140 with USCIS. You (EB-1A) or your employer files the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. The date USCIS receives it becomes your priority date.
- Optional premium processing (Form I-907). USCIS takes action within 15 business days for EB-1A and EB-1B, or 45 business days for EB-1C.
- Check the Visa Bulletin. When your priority date is earlier than the final action date for your country of birth, or the category shows “C”, you can move to the final stage.
- Final stage, by one of two routes:
- Adjustment of status (Form I-485) if you are already in the US in valid status, for example on an O-1, L-1 or H-1B. You can usually file the I-485 together with the I-140 if your priority date is already current.
- Consular processing if you live in the UK. After approval, your case goes to the National Visa Center. You file Form DS-260, attend a medical with an approved panel physician, and have an interview at the US Embassy in London.
- Enter the US and receive your green card. EB-1 green cards are not conditional. You get a 10-year permanent resident card from the start.
EB-1 Processing Time in 2026
With premium processing, USCIS decides an EB-1A or EB-1B I-140 within 15 business days, and an EB-1C within 45 business days (8 CFR 106.4; USCIS premium processing). Without premium processing, I-140 times vary by service centre and change every month. Check the live figures on the USCIS processing times tool before you plan.
Your total timeline from filing to green card depends on three things:
- I-140 decision: weeks with premium processing, or several months without it.
- Visa Bulletin wait: none for most UK-born applicants. It can be several years for applicants born in India or China.
- Final stage: I-485 adjustment inside the US, or the NVC and embassy interview stage for applicants in the UK.
Premium processing makes the decision faster. It does not make approval more likely, and it does not skip the Visa Bulletin queue.
EB-1 Visa Bulletin: Where the Queue Stands (October 2026)
In October 2026, the first month of US fiscal year 2027, EB-1 is current for all countries except China and India (Visa Bulletin, October 2026).
| Country of birth | Final action date | Date for filing |
|---|---|---|
| All other countries (including the UK) | Current | Current |
| China (mainland-born) | 1 July 2023 | 1 July 2024 |
| India | 1 February 2023 | 1 July 2024 |
| Mexico | Current | Current |
| Philippines | Current | Current |
Chargeability follows your country of birth, not your passport. A British citizen born in India is counted against India’s EB-1 queue. In some cases you can use your spouse’s country of birth instead (“cross-chargeability”). USCIS announces each month which chart applies to adjustment of status filings on its Visa Bulletin page. The per-country limit for FY2027 is 25,620.
How Much Does an EB-1 Visa Cost in 2026?
USCIS and State Department fees for an EB-1 green card usually come to between about $1,900 (consular route, no premium processing) and $5,700 (premium processing plus adjustment of status) for the main applicant. The total depends on whether you use premium processing and which final-stage route you take. Legal fees are separate.
| Fee | Amount (USD) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-140 petition | $715 | USCIS fee rule |
| Asylum Program Fee (with I-140) | $600 standard; $300 small employer (25 or fewer full-time staff); $0 non-profit | USCIS fee rule |
| Premium processing (Form I-907, optional) | $2,965 (from 1 March 2026) | Federal Register 2026-00321 |
| Form I-485 adjustment of status (age 14+) | $1,440 | USCIS fee rule |
| Immigrant visa application, consular route (per person) | $345 | State Department fees |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (consular route, paid before travel) | $235 | USCIS fee rule |
Fees change often. Check the USCIS fee schedule on the day you file.
EB-1 vs EB-2 vs O-1: Choosing the Right Route
The EB-1 is usually the fastest employment-based green card because it skips PERM and has the shortest queue. Its evidence bar is the highest.
- EB-2 visa: for advanced-degree professionals or people of exceptional ability. It needs PERM unless you get a National Interest Waiver, and its queues are longer. It can be a safer first filing if your EB-1A evidence is borderline.
- O-1 visa: a temporary visa using a similar “extraordinary ability” test. Many clients get to the US on an O-1 and then file EB-1A using the same evidence.
- E-1 and E-2 treaty visas: temporary routes for UK traders and investors. They do not lead to a green card on their own.
Moving from the UK on an EB-1: What to Plan For
A green card makes you a US permanent resident and a US tax resident. Plan your UK tax, pension and residence position before you move.
- Tax: the UK–US double taxation agreement stops the same income being taxed twice. You still need cross-border advice (GOV.UK: Living in the USA).
- Healthcare: there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and the US, so arrange insurance before you travel.
- Keeping your green card: long stays outside the US can be treated as giving up residence. Apply for a re-entry permit before any extended period back in the UK.
- British nationality: the US allows dual citizenship, so you can later naturalise as a US citizen without giving up British citizenship.
Why Choose Adam Bernard Solicitors for Your EB-1 Visa
Adam Bernard Solicitors is an SRA-regulated London firm with 15 years’ experience and more than 15,000 clients. It handles US immigration with a US-based attorney and an affiliated US firm.
- Criteria mapping before you file. We test your evidence against each criterion and the final-merits standard, and tell you plainly if EB-2 NIW or an O-1 first is the better route.
- Evidence packages built to win. We draft expert letters, petition letters and exhibit indexes for USCIS officers.
- UK and US advice in one team. We cover the London embassy interview, Home Office status and timing your move.
- Free initial consultation in person at High Holborn or Upton Park, or by Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp or Skype. We are on the phone 24/7.
See our full range of immigration services, or call 0207 100 2525 to speak to our US immigration team.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. US immigration law, fees and Visa Bulletin dates change frequently, so take advice on your own circumstances.
EB-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to go from EB-1 to green card?
For most UK-born applicants, premium processing gets an I-140 decision in 15 business days. The final stage then usually takes several months, whether that is an I-485 in the US or the NVC and embassy interview from the UK. Applicants born in India or China must also wait for their priority date to become current, which can take several years.
What is the EB-1 processing time in 2026?
With premium processing, USCIS acts on an EB-1A or EB-1B I-140 within 15 business days and an EB-1C within 45 business days. Standard processing times vary by service centre. Check the USCIS processing times tool for current figures.
Can I apply for an EB-1 visa without a job offer?
Yes, but only under EB-1A (extraordinary ability). You can self-petition by filing Form I-140 yourself. EB-1B and EB-1C both need a US employer to file for you.
How many EB-1A criteria do I need to meet?
You need at least 3 of the 10 criteria in 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3), or one major international award. USCIS then makes a final merits determination on whether you are among the small percentage at the top of your field.
How much does an EB-1 visa cost?
Government fees start at $715 for Form I-140 plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee ($300 for small employers, $0 for non-profits). Premium processing is $2,965 and Form I-485 is $1,440. If you apply from abroad, the immigrant visa fee is $345 and the USCIS Immigrant Fee is $235.
Is the EB-1 current for UK applicants?
Yes. In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, EB-1 is current for all countries of birth except China (final action date 1 July 2023) and India (1 February 2023). Chargeability follows your country of birth, not your nationality.
Can my family come with me on an EB-1?
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get green cards as your dependants. Once in the US, they can live, work and study.
Can I go from an O-1 or L-1 visa to an EB-1 green card?
Yes. O-1 holders often move to EB-1A using similar evidence. L-1A managers and executives often move to EB-1C, because both use the same multinational relationship and neither needs PERM.
Is the EB-1 better than the EB-2 NIW?
The EB-1 usually has a shorter queue and EB-1A has a 15-business-day premium processing option. EB-1A has a higher evidence bar than the EB-2 National Interest Waiver. Many applicants with borderline EB-1A evidence file an EB-2 NIW, either instead or as well.
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