The 10 EB-1A criteria, explained
EB-1A is the employment-based green card for individuals of extraordinary ability. It's self-petitionable — no employer or job offer required — but it turns on a specific, published set of criteria. Here's what each one actually means, and where cases go wrong.
How EB-1A is actually judged
A common misconception is that meeting three criteria means approval. It doesn't. Since Kazarian v. USCIS, adjudication is a two-step analysis:
- Step 1 — the evidentiary bar. You must submit qualifying evidence under at least 3 of the 10 regulatory criteria (or a one-time major international award like a Nobel or Olympic medal, which qualifies on its own).
- Step 2 — the final-merits determination. The officer then weighs all your evidence together to decide whether it demonstrates sustained national or international acclaim and that you are among the small percentage at the very top of your field.
The ten criteria, one by one
1. Nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards
Awards for excellence in your field. The strength depends on the award's prestige, the size and caliber of the pool you competed against, and whether recognition extends beyond a single organization. Employer "employee of the year" awards rarely qualify; competitive field or national awards can.
2. Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievement
Membership must be conditioned on outstanding achievements, judged by recognized experts. Fellow or senior grades of professional societies (e.g., IEEE Fellow) can qualify; membership that anyone can obtain by paying dues does not.
3. Published material about you
Articles or media about you and your work in professional publications or major media — not pieces you authored. Provide the title, date, author, and outlet, with translations where needed.
4. Judging the work of others
Serving as a judge of others' work, individually or on a panel. Journal peer review, grant-review panels, award juries, and thesis committees all count. Keep the invitations and records of completion.
5. Original contributions of major significance
Original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business contributions of major significance to the field. This is the single most-scrutinized criterion. A citation count alone rarely proves "major significance" — you need evidence that your work has been widely adopted, implemented, or built upon, typically supported by independent expert letters that explain the impact.
6. Authorship of scholarly articles
Authorship of scholarly articles in professional journals or major trade/media publications. Peer-reviewed publications in your field carry the most weight.
7. Artistic exhibitions or showcases
Display of your work at artistic exhibitions or showcases. This criterion applies to those in the arts.
8. Leading or critical role for a distinguished organization
You performed a leading or critical role for an organization (or a distinguished division of one) that has a distinguished reputation. Two things must both be true: the role was leading/critical, and the organization has a distinguished reputation. Document both.
9. High salary or remuneration
Commanding a high salary or other remuneration relative to others in your field. The comparison should be occupation- and area-specific — top-decile pay for your specific role and location, not "high pay" in general. Public wage data (like the certified DOL filings behind our benchmark) is strong evidence here.
10. Commercial success in the performing arts
Commercial successes in the performing arts, shown by box office receipts, sales, or comparable figures. Applies to performers.
See which criteria you can actually evidence
Our free EB-1A readiness check scores your profile against all ten criteria, flags the ones most likely to draw an RFE, and builds a documentation checklist you can take to an attorney.
Check my EB-1A readiness — free →Where petitions most often draw an RFE
Across EB-1A cases, a handful of patterns recur:
- Criterion 5 (original contributions) argued on citation counts alone, without independent evidence that the work changed practice in the field.
- Membership and awards submitted without proof that selection required outstanding achievement judged by experts.
- Leading/critical role that documents the role but not the organization's distinguished reputation (or vice versa).
- High remuneration compared against generic salary data rather than the specific occupation and metro.
- Meeting exactly three criteria, so that a single discounted criterion drops the petition below the Step-1 bar.
The takeaway: aim past the minimum, and make each criterion's evidence explicit and independently corroborated.
A readiness check shows where you stand against these criteria; a licensed attorney is what turns a strong file into a filed petition. If you're in Arizona, you can browse Arizona immigration attorneys through our sister directory.