EB-1 Visa Attorney in Jacksonville

Serving Jacksonville’s Extraordinary Professionals

The EB-1 is an employment-based first-preference immigrant visa and can offer a faster path to a U.S. green card for professionals who have risen to the top of their field. Unlike most employment-based green card categories, EB-1 petitions don’t require PERM labor certification, which can shorten the path to permanent residence.

At Edwards & Edwards, P.A., we represent individuals and sponsoring employers in Jacksonville and throughout Duval, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties on employment-based immigration matters. Spanish-speaking staff are available to assist clients through every stage of the process.

The Three EB-1 Subcategories

Which subcategory applies to your situation shapes everything about how a petition is built. Each has its own eligibility standard, sponsorship requirements, and evidentiary framework.

EB-1A: Extraordinary Ability

The EB-1A is the only employment-based first-preference category that allows self-petitioning. No U.S. employer sponsor is required. 

These individuals must demonstrate extraordinary ability in the fields of arts, business, sciences, education, or athletics through national or international acclaim. 

To qualify, a petitioner must demonstrate either a one-time major, internationally recognized award (such as a Pulitzer or Olympic medal) or satisfy at least three of 10 regulatory criteria established by USCIS. Those criteria include evidence of high salary, judging the work of others in the field, original contributions of major significance, critical roles for distinguished organizations, and similar benchmarks of sustained national or international acclaim.

EB-1B: Outstanding Professors & Researchers

The petitioner must be recognized internationally as outstanding in a particular academic field and must be entering a tenured, tenure-track, or comparable research position at a university, private employer, or institution of higher education. 

The EB-1B requires a U.S. employer to file the petition and evidence satisfying at least 2 of 6 listed criteria, such as receipt of major prizes, membership in associations requiring outstanding achievement, or published material about the beneficiary’s work. 

EB-1C: Multinational Executives & Managers

The EB-1C is employer-sponsored and designed for executives and managers transferring to a U.S. affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company. The beneficiary must have worked in a qualifying managerial or executive capacity abroad for at least one of the three years preceding the petition for a related overseas entity. The U.S. employer must have been doing business for at least one year.

Form I-140, Premium Processing, & What Comes Next

For employer-sponsored EB-1 petitions, the U.S. employer files Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with USCIS and must demonstrate continuing ability to pay the offered wage as of the petition’s priority date. EB-1A self-petitioners file the same form on their own behalf.

One practical advantage of the EB-1 category is the ability to request premium processing through Form I-907. Under current USCIS policy (subject to change), premium processing provides agency action on an EB-1A or EB-1B petition within 15 business days and within 45 business days for EB-1C petitions, which can offer more timeline predictability than standard processing.

After I-140 approval, the path to a green card depends on where the beneficiary is located. Someone already in the United States in valid status can apply to adjust status via Form I-485. Someone outside the country pursues consular processing at a U.S. embassy or consulate. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may apply for immigration benefits as derivatives of an approved EB-1 petition.

Building a Petition That Holds Up to USCIS Scrutiny

Meeting the minimum number of regulatory criteria is only the first hurdle. USCIS evaluates EB-1A petitions in two steps: confirming the applicant clears the threshold, then weighing all the evidence together to determine whether the applicant has genuinely risen to the top of the field. That second step is where many petitions fall short, and where the quality of the initial submission matters most.

When USCIS needs more documentation before deciding a petition, it issues a Request for Evidence (RFE). An RFE isn’t a denial, but the response window is limited and the quality of the response matters. A thorough, well-organized initial petition can reduce the likelihood of an RFE and put the case in a stronger position from the outset.

Working with an EB-1 visa attorney in Jacksonville who understands both the evidentiary standards and any related business or family matters can make a meaningful difference in how a petition comes together. To discuss your situation with our team, call (904) 454-4881 or schedule a consultation at a time that works for you.

Why Choose Our Jacksonville EB-1 Visa Lawyer?

Many professionals pursuing an EB-1 green card are also forming a U.S. business, negotiating executive employment agreements, or bringing a spouse and children. Our attorneys collaborate across practice areas rather than working in a single specialty, so those connected matters can be handled within the same firm rather than requiring separate counsel.

Edwards & Edwards, P.A. is a WBENC-certified women-owned business, sister-owned and family-operated, with over 65 years of combined legal experience among our attorneys and staff. We hold memberships in the Florida State Bar, the Jacksonville Bar Association, and the St. Johns Bar Association. Our team brings compassion, responsiveness, and tailored guidance to each case we handle.