EB-1A Guide · Last reviewed 2026-06-19
EB-1A requirements: the 10 criteria for the Einstein Visa
The EB-1A, also known as the Einstein Visa, is for people of extraordinary ability. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2 requires documentary evidence for at least three of the ten EB-1A criteria below. Most approved cases satisfy four or five. Here is what every criterion means in practice and what USCIS expects to see, with the evidence patterns that get approved and the ones that draw a Request for Evidence.
Already know the criteria? See the step-by-step EB-1A guide or EB-1A cost breakdown.
Nationally or Internationally Recognized Awards
Awards you've won that recognize excellence in your field. Stronger when the award is selective (≤ 10% acceptance rate) and the panel is named. Industry awards, government honors, and major conference awards qualify; in-house awards from your own employer do not.
Membership in Selective Associations
Associations that require outstanding achievement of their members, as judged by recognized experts. Examples: AAAS member, IEEE Fellow, ACM Fellow, board membership in a recognized industry body. The selection process must be more than a paid subscription.
Published Material About You
Articles in professional or major trade publications about you and your work. Press releases the petitioner's own company issued don't count. Wayback Machine archive every URL: USCIS treats stale links as missing evidence.
Judging the Work of Others
Times you've evaluated other professionals' work. Peer-reviewing journal submissions, sitting on hackathon or industry award panels, serving as a thesis examiner, or judging at international competitions all qualify.
Original Contributions of Major Significance
Work you've done that others in your field have built on. Citations of your papers, products that ship at scale based on your design, patents licensed widely, methodologies adopted across an industry. This is the criterion that wins the most EB-1A cases.
Scholarly Articles You Authored
Peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, conference papers. Industry op-eds in respected trade publications can also qualify when the outlet has editorial review. USCIS counts citation impact, not just publication count.
Display at Exhibitions
For artistic fields. Group or solo exhibitions at respected galleries, festivals, biennials. Rarely the lead criterion for tech / business petitioners.
Critical or Essential Role
You hold (or held) a role where the organization's success depended on you. CTO at a venture-backed startup, principal scientist at a national lab, founding partner at a respected firm. Sealed HR letter naming your authority + budget responsibility is required.
High Salary or Remuneration
Compensation that exceeds what others in your role earn. USCIS expects comparison to an official salary source: BLS, OECD, or a country-specific wage authority. Total comp (base + bonus + equity) is the figure USCIS reads. Self-reported salary alone gets RFE'd.
Commercial Success in Performing Arts
For performing artists. Box office, streaming numbers, sales charts, sold-out tour attendance. Rarely the lead criterion outside entertainment.
Don't guess which criteria you meet
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The EB-1A statute is at 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(1)(A); the implementing regulation listing the ten criteria is at 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3); USCIS adjudication policy is set out in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2. The controlling AAO precedent is Matter of Price and the two-step framework from Kazarian v. USCIS, 596 F.3d 1115 (9th Cir. 2010) — first a count of satisfied criteria, then a final-merits determination on whether the evidence in aggregate shows sustained acclaim.