Work-Based Green Cards (EB)
Employment-Based Green Cards (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) provide permanent residence for foreign workers based on their skills, education, and employment offers in the United States.
Who Qualifies
EB-1: Priority workers with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors/researchers, multinational executives. EB-2: Professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. EB-3: Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers.
Key Features
Permanent residence status, path to U.S. citizenship, ability to work for any employer, travel freedom, and family members can be included in the application.
Duration
Permanent (Green Card). Processing times vary by category and country of birth, typically 1-5+ years depending on visa bulletin backlogs.
National Interest Waiver (NIW)
The National Interest Waiver allows EB-2 applicants to bypass the labor certification requirement by demonstrating their work benefits the United States.
Who Qualifies
Professionals with advanced degrees (Master's or higher, or Bachelor's plus 5 years experience) or exceptional ability, whose work has substantial merit and national importance.
Key Features
Self-petition without employer sponsorship, no job offer required, no labor certification needed, and flexibility to change employers or start your own business.
Duration
Permanent (Green Card). Processing typically 12-18 months for I-140 approval, plus visa bulletin wait times based on country of birth.
Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A)
The EB-1A visa is reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics who have risen to the very top of their field.
Who Qualifies
Individuals demonstrating sustained national or international acclaim. Must meet 3 of 10 USCIS criteria (awards, memberships, published materials, judging, original contributions, scholarly articles, exhibitions, leading roles, high salary, commercial success) OR provide evidence of a one-time major achievement (Nobel, Pulitzer, Oscar, Olympic medal).
Key Features
No job offer required, no labor certification needed, self-petition option, premium processing available, and priority date currency for most countries.
Duration
Permanent (Green Card). Premium processing available for I-140 (15 calendar days). Total timeline typically 1-2 years depending on country of birth.
Multinational Manager (EB-1C)
The EB-1C category enables multinational managers and executives to obtain permanent residence while continuing to work for their qualifying organization in the U.S.
Who Qualifies
Managers or executives who have worked for a qualifying multinational company abroad for at least 1 year within the 3 years preceding the petition, transferring to a U.S. affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company. The U.S. employer must have been doing business for at least one year.
Key Features
No labor certification required, company-sponsored petition, premium processing available, and serves as natural progression from L-1A visa status.
Duration
Permanent (Green Card). Premium processing available for I-140 (15 calendar days). Total timeline typically 1-3 years depending on country of birth.
PERM Labor Certification
PERM Labor Certification is the first step for most EB-2 and EB-3 green card applications, requiring employers to test the U.S. labor market.
Who Qualifies
U.S. employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for permanent positions. The employer must demonstrate that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position at the prevailing wage.
Key Features
Electronic filing system, prevailing wage determination from DOL, structured recruitment process, and establishes priority date for green card processing.
Duration
PERM process typically 8-12 months. This is followed by I-140 petition and adjustment of status or consular processing, adding 1-5+ years total.
Specialty Occupation Visa (H-1B)
The H-1B visa allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise.
Who Qualifies
Foreign professionals with at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a specialty field directly related to the position, such as IT, engineering, medicine, law, accounting, architecture, or sciences.
Key Features
Dual intent allowed (can pursue green card), certain H-4 spouses eligible for work authorization (if H-1B holder has approved I-140 or AC21 extension), cap-exempt options for universities and research institutions.
Duration
Initial 3 years, extendable to 6 years total. Extensions beyond 6 years possible if I-140 approved or labor certification pending 365+ days. Annual cap: 65,000 + 20,000 for U.S. master's degrees.
Intracompany Transfer (L-1)
The L-1 visa facilitates intracompany transfers for multinational companies moving managers, executives, or specialized knowledge employees to U.S. offices.
Who Qualifies
L-1A: Managers and executives. L-1B: Employees with specialized knowledge. All must have worked for the company abroad for at least 1 continuous year within the past 3 years.
Key Features
No annual cap, blanket petition option for large companies, dual intent allowed, spouse eligible for work authorization (L-2 EAD), pathway to EB-1C green card.
Duration
L-1A: Up to 7 years. L-1B: Up to 5 years. New office petitions initially granted for 1 year. Extensions in 2-year increments.
E-2 Investor Visa
The E-2 Treaty Investor visa allows nationals of treaty countries to enter the U.S. to develop and direct investment enterprises they have invested in substantially.
Who Qualifies
Nationals of treaty countries who have invested or are actively investing a substantial amount of capital in a bona fide U.S. enterprise that is not marginal. Investment must be proportional to the total enterprise cost.
Key Features
No annual cap, renewable indefinitely, spouse eligible for work authorization (employment authorized incident to status), can include key employees, and allows directing day-to-day business operations.
Duration
Initial period up to 2 years (varies by treaty country reciprocity). Extensions available in 2-year increments with no limit on the number of extensions as long as qualifying status is maintained.
O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa
The O-1 visa serves individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or motion picture/television industry.
Who Qualifies
O-1A: Sciences, business, education, athletics – requires extraordinary ability. O-1B: Arts, motion picture/TV – requires distinction or extraordinary achievement.
Key Features
No annual cap, premium processing available, can include O-2 support staff, flexible initial period based on event/project, unlimited extensions available.
Duration
Initial stay up to 3 years (or duration of event). Extensions in 1-year increments with no maximum limit. Each extension requires continued qualifying activity.
TN Visa
The TN visa, created under USMCA (formerly NAFTA), allows Canadian and Mexican professionals to work in the U.S. in designated professional occupations.
Who Qualifies
Canadian or Mexican citizens working in one of 60+ designated professions including engineers, accountants, scientists, computer systems analysts, and other professional occupations.
Key Features
No annual cap, Canadians can apply at border without visa, quick processing, lower cost than H-1B, and renewable indefinitely.
Duration
Up to 3 years per admission. Renewable indefinitely in 3-year increments. No maximum cumulative time limit, but must maintain nonimmigrant intent.
Employment Authorization (EAD)
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) permit eligible foreign nationals to work legally in the United States regardless of their immigration status category.
Who Qualifies
Adjustment of status applicants, asylum applicants (after 180 days), certain H-4 spouses (with I-140 approved), L-2 and E-2 spouses, DACA recipients, TPS beneficiaries, and other eligible categories.
Key Features
Work for any U.S. employer, valid form of ID, can be renewed, certain categories allow automatic extensions up to 540 days while renewal is pending.
Duration
Validity periods vary by category (typically 1-2 years). Must file renewal before expiration. Processing times vary by category and service center.
Corporate Compliance & I-9 Audits
I-9 compliance is a critical obligation for all U.S. employers to verify the identity and employment authorization of every employee hired in the United States.
Who Qualifies
All U.S. employers must complete Form I-9 for every employee hired after November 6, 1986, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Key Features
We provide I-9 audits, compliance training, error correction assistance, ICE inspection response, and development of compliant hiring procedures.
Duration
Forms must be retained for 3 years after hire date or 1 year after termination, whichever is later. Regular audits recommended to ensure ongoing compliance.
Contact Our Legal Team
Office Address
1629 K St. N.W.Suite #300
Washington, DC 20006
Phone
+1 (202) 815-2372
+1 (469) 897-1735
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday: By appointment only; no walk-ins.
Friday – Saturday – Sunday: Closed