EB-1C green card
A green card for managers who move within their company
If you worked at least 1 year as a manager or executive for a related company abroad, in the 3 years before filing or before you came to the US, your US employer can sponsor you for a first-preference green card, with no labor certification.
- Who files
- Your US employer
- Labor certification
- Not needed
- Time abroad
- 1 of 3 years before
- Legal fee from
- $8,995
What you get
A faster route that skips the job-market test
EB-1C is for multinational managers and executives. If your company moved you to the US, or plans to, it may be able to sponsor you for a green card in the first preference group (EB-1).
Most employer-sponsored green cards need a labor certification (PERM) first. That step alone can take many months. EB-1C does not need it. Your employer files Form I-140 directly with USCIS.
EB-1 is also a separate line from EB-2 and EB-3. Depending on your country of birth, that line may be shorter. It still has yearly limits and per-country limits, so some people wait for a visa number after approval.
Many people come to the US first on an L-1 visa and then use EB-1C for the green card. The rules are similar but not the same. For example, an L-1 can be used to open a new US office. EB-1C cannot.
Requirements
What you and your company must show
All of these must be true. Your attorney checks each one before anything is filed.
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One year abroad as a manager or executive
In the 3 years before the petition, you worked at least 1 year outside the US for the related company, in a managerial or executive role. If you are already in the US working for the same group, the 3 years are counted back from when you entered as a nonimmigrant (for example, on an L-1).
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A qualifying relationship between the companies
The US company and the company abroad must be the same employer, or a parent and subsidiary, or affiliates. The relationship must hold from filing until the petition is decided. The US employer must be a US company, not just a branch office of the company abroad. A branch can sponsor an L-1, but it cannot offer the permanent job EB-1C needs.
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The US company has done business for at least 1 year
Doing business means regular, ongoing work providing goods or services. Having only an agent or an office is not enough. A brand-new US office does not qualify for EB-1C.
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A permanent job offer as a manager or executive
Your US employer must offer you a permanent role that is mainly managerial or executive. The offer letter must clearly describe your duties.
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The companies keep operating
The US employer and at least one related company abroad must keep doing business until you get your green card.
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The employer can pay your wage
Your employer shows it can pay the offered wage, usually with annual reports, federal tax returns or audited financial statements.
Manager or executive?
What USCIS means by these words
Your title does not decide this. Your actual daily duties do. Org charts and clear job descriptions carry a lot of weight.
| Role type | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|
| People manager | You mainly manage other supervisors, professionals or managers. You can hire and fire, or recommend those actions. Supervising only non-professional staff is not enough. |
| Function manager | You mainly manage an essential function of the company, such as a product line or a department, even without many direct reports. You manage the function rather than do the hands-on work. |
| Executive | You mainly direct the company or a major part of it. You set goals and policies, make wide decisions, and report only to top executives, the board or owners. |
A very small US office is not ruled out, but USCIS says it can be very difficult to show a sole employee is mainly managing. USCIS looks at the whole picture, including staffing and business needs.
How it works
From first call to green card
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An attorney checks the fit
A licensed attorney at our independent partner firm reviews your roles, both companies and how they are related. You get a flat legal fee before signing.
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Gather company and role evidence
Your case team collects ownership records, org charts for both companies, duty descriptions and financial documents.
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Your employer files Form I-140
A second attorney reviews the petition before filing. Your employer can add premium processing for a faster decision on the I-140.
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Wait for your priority date
Depends on your countryYour place in line is the date USCIS accepts the I-140. When your date is current in the Visa Bulletin, you can take the last step.
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Apply for the green card
If you are in the US, you file Form I-485 to adjust status. If you are abroad, you go through a US consulate. If you are a citizen of a country under a current US travel proclamation, an immigrant visa may not be issued abroad right now. Your attorney checks this before you choose this route. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can usually apply with you.
What it costs
Government fees and our legal fee
Government fees go to USCIS. The legal fee goes to the partner law firm.
| Item | Cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-140 filing fee | $715 by mail, $665 online | USCIS |
| Asylum Program Fee | $600 for most employers, $300 for employers with 25 or fewer full-time employees, $0 for nonprofits | USCIS |
| Premium processing for the I-140 (optional) | $2,965 | USCIS |
| Form I-485, each person 14 or older | $1,440 by mail | USCIS |
| Form I-485, child under 14 filing with a parent | $950 by mail | USCIS |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee, if you get your green card abroad | $235 per person | USCIS |
| Legal fee, EB-1C | From $8,995 (tiers: $8,995, $10,975, $14,975, $17,975) | Partner law firm |
Government fees are from the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 09/09/26), as of September 2026. Fees change, so they are checked again before filing. Consular cases also pay State Department fees. Translations and document costs are extra.
How long it takes
Two waits: the decision, then your place in line
With premium processing, USCIS aims to act on an EB-1C petition within 45 business days. That means a decision, a Request for Evidence, or a notice of intent to deny. Without it, times vary. You can check current USCIS processing times.
After approval, you may wait for a visa number. EB-1 has a yearly limit. Also, people born in any one country can get only about 7 percent of all family and work green cards each year. If many people from your country are in line, the wait can be long.
Each month’s cutoff dates are in the Visa Bulletin. Our Visa Bulletin guide shows how to read it. Your attorney will tell you what your country’s line looks like before you file.
How we help
Attorney-led, with two lawyers on every petition
EB-1C is filed by attorneys at our independent partner firm. Frank, our extraordinary ability partner, does not cover EB-1C.
Strategy before paperwork
A senior attorney leads your case and writes a legal strategy memo, including how your role fits the manager or executive rules.
A second attorney reviews it
Before filing, a second attorney reads the whole petition with fresh eyes.
RFE responses included
If USCIS sends a Request for Evidence or a notice of intent to deny on a case they filed, the response is part of the fee.
One flat fee, known up front
No hourly billing. You also get unlimited contact with your case team and a portal to track the case.
FAQ
Common worries
Not usually. If you work in the US for the same company group, USCIS counts your year abroad in the 3 years before you entered as a nonimmigrant. But if you left the company for more than 2 years after arriving, you may need a new year abroad.
Not yet. The US employer must have done business for at least 1 year when the petition is filed. An L-1 can be used to open a new office, and EB-1C can come later.
It depends on who you manage and what you do all day. If your team is professionals or other managers, or you run an essential function, you may qualify. An attorney reviews your real duties, not just your title.
No one can promise approval. Some cases get refund-backed terms, but only if the reviewing attorney approves after assessing the case. They cannot be requested or bought.
Sources · checked September 2026
- USCIS: Employment-Based Immigration, First Preference EB-1
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part F, Ch. 4 (Multinational Executive or Manager)
- 8 CFR 204.5(j), (g)(2) and (d) (eCFR)
- 8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(1)(C) (Cornell LII)
- 8 U.S.C. 1152(a)(2), per-country limit (Cornell LII)
- USCIS Fee Schedule, Form G-1055 (edition 09/09/26)
- USCIS: Guidance on Paying Fees for Form I-140 (Asylum Program Fee)
- USCIS: How Do I Request Premium Processing?
- USCIS: Visa Availability and Priority Dates
- DOL FLAG: PERM processing times
- USCIS: L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager (new office rules)
- USCIS Case Processing Times
- White House fact sheet: Proclamation 10998, further restricting entry of foreign nationals (December 2025)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
