Top Priority Visas Granted to Outstanding Researchers or Professors
When outstanding individuals immigrate to the United States, the country’s culture and economy are enriched. At NPZ Law Group, our Global Mobility Attorneys and Immigration Specialist Staff have substantial background helping extraordinary researchers and professors gain priority employment-based visas through pre-certified categories like the outstanding researcher category.
An outstanding professor or researcher is one who is internationally recognized as outstanding in a specific academic area may obtain this classification and avoid the PERM labor certification process. There is an understanding by the USCIS that an individual who is an outstanding researcher or professor is not a person whose position can be taken by an able, willing and qualified U.S. worker.
The outstanding professor and researcher category is a first preference employment-based immigrant visa category. The category requires that the prospective employee be sponsored by an organization. The following are the basic eligibility requirements for qualification under this category:
- An offer of employment for a tenured or tenure-track position or a comparable “permanent” research position.
- The USCIS defines a “permanent” position as one that is “for a term of indefinite or unlimited duration, and in which the employee will ordinarily have an expectation of continued employment unless there is good cause for termination.”
- Visiting and employee-in-training appointments and Research Fellows are not considered permanent.
- However, no proof of indefinite grant funding is required since a commitment to the position and the individual for an indefinite period may be sufficient.
- Three years of teaching and/or research experience in the academic field, generally beyond the Ph.D.
- National and international recognition as being “outstanding” in the academic field.
Evidence of qualifications in at least two of the following six criteria as set forth by the USCIS is required:
- Evidence of receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement in the academic field.
- Prizes or awards including an explanation of the reputation or the organization granting the award, the significance of the award, and the criteria used to select the recipient.
- Evidence of membership in an association in the academic field which requires outstanding achievements of their members.
- Photocopies of membership certificates, letters of nomination, or letters from associations that require outstanding achievement for membership.
- Evidence of published material in professional publications written by others about the scholar’s work in the academic field.
- Evidence of participation, either individually or on a panel, as the judge of the work of others in the same or an allied academic field.
- Photocopies of lists of editors, letters requesting review of publications, thank you letters, evidence of supervision of Ph.D. students, etc.
- Evidence of original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field.
- List of professional presentations, patents, etc. Include date, place, lists of speakers, criteria for selection, photocopies of invitations, conference papers, etc.
- Evidence of authorship of scholarly books or articles (in scholarly journals with international circulation) in the academic field.
- Complete list of publications, circulation, and process for selection of articles.
Call Toll Free: 866-599-3625
Applicant must prove work is Internationally Distinguished
An individual applying for an Outstanding Researcher or Professor petition must prove their work is internationally recognized. Founding attorney David Nachman has practiced in immigration law for more than 25 years. Mr. Nachman and the member of the Firm’s Staff are experienced at analyzing the backgrounds of researchers and professors to determine if their backgrounds qualify as outstanding and if they meet these criteria by virtue of their possessing:
- Major prizes or awards
- Association memberships
- Publications written by others referencing why the work is superior
- Publications written by the applicant critiquing others’ work
- Research contributions
- Authorship of scholarly books or articles
Global Mobility Attorney David Nachman and the other Attorneys at the Firm are Active Members of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Mr. Nachman has been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer for three years running and he is listed in the International Who’s Who among the Best Corporate and Business Immigration Lawyers in the World. Mr. Nachman was also named by the New Jersey Law Journal as one of the “Top 40 under 40.” Mr. Nachman holds a Master’s of Business Administration and has been practicing Business and Corporate Immigration Law for well over a decade and a half. Mr. Nachman has a great deal of experience analyzing a resume of a professional worker to determine of he or she may be able to qualify for a green card using the Outstanding Researcher and Professor Green Card process.
Resources
Contact Our Global Business Immigration Lawyers
Our staff of immigration law professionals are sensitive to the needs of our clients and the members of their families. Many members of our staff are themselves foreign born and have family and/or friends who have gone through the immigration process. As a result, our staff of business immigration law professionals have a personal and unique approach in the processing of visas and for dealing with our foreign national clientele.
Our legal team can clearly explain how to process temporary and permanent work permits in the U.S. The Outstanding Researcher and Professor Classification Process is time-consuming and complex and our staff of business immigration law professionals can clearly explain the process in Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Tamil, Hindi, Slovak, Czech, Russian, Chinese, German and English.
To schedule a consultation, please feel free to contact NPZ Law Group by e-mail or call 201-670-0006 (x107).