There are few immigration statuses more coveted than the EB-1 green card and few that are more difficult to obtain. Reserved for the most extraordinary foreign individuals, this green card comes with several advantages. If you’re interested in pursuing this green card, read this guide to discover all the EB-1 visa costs.
EB-1 Visa Cost
When it comes to getting an EB-1, there are a few mandatory USCIS fees to be aware of:
EB-1 Green Card Application Fees
Here are the mandatory USCIS filing fees involved with getting an EB-1 visa:
- I-140 basic filing fee: $715. This EB-1 cost is your employer’s responsibility, unless you are self-petitioning.
- Asylum fee: $600 (regular petitioner) or $300 (small employer/self-petitioner)
- I-485 filing fee: $1,440. This fee is applicable if you are in the United States and switching from a non-immigrant status, such as the H-1B, O-1, or L-1.
EB-1 Process and Fees for Applicants Outside the United States
For those who are currently outside the U.S., you will need to go through consular processing.
- Step 1: Once your I-140 is approved, you will need to schedule an appointment with the U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country.
- Step 2: You will need to travel to the consulate for the appointment, where you will likely go through a one-on-one interview with a consular officer.
- Step 3: You will need to complete a medical exam, and these fees vary by country.
- Step 4: You need to bring the printed confirmation that you completed the DS-260 online immigrant application. This fee will cost $345
- Step 5: If the officer considers you eligible for your visa, you will be given a visa packet of information. Do not open this packet.
- Step 6: You can then enter the U.S. At the port of entry, you will need to give this packet to the border officer, who will then inspect you. After that, you will be an official permanent resident of the U.S.
Additional EB-1 Costs
While many people take into account the mandatory fees, they fail to consider the extra costs that come along with getting an EB-1 visa:
- Traveling costs to and from the U.S. consulate or embassy if you are not in the U.S.
- Fees for document translations or academic evaluations
- Attorney fees (Optional).
- VisaNation charges a flat rate for our EB-1 services.
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EB-1A Green Card Premium Processing Fee
Premium processing is an optional service that allows petitioners to have their processing time expedited for an additional cost of $2,805. While the usual processing time is around 6 months, premium processing will shorten it to 15 business days. The fee can either be paid by you or your employer. If it is paid by you, there needs to be a written statement saying that this is for the benefit of the applicant and not the employer.
This feature only shortens the processing time for the I-140 petition. If USCIS does not process your petition in 15 business days, then you will be issued a refund of your premium processing fee.
EB-1 Green Card Advantages
One of the advantages of an EB-1A visa is that applicants do not need to have a job offer with a U.S. employer to apply. This means that they do not need to go through the PERM Labor Certification process.
This shaves off years in the green card timeline and reduces the overall EB-1 cost. The only other employment-based green card that carries this advantage is the EB-2 with a National Interest Waiver.
The other major advantage provided by the EB-1 green card is the priority date wait time. For the EB-1, the majority of the dates are “current.” This means that most EB-1 applicants will have visa numbers available as soon as their petition is approved by the USCIS.
In contrast, many green card applicants, specifically in the EB-3 category, face a waiting time of several years before their priority dates become current with the latest final action dates provided monthly by the Department of State. These dates vary according to your green card category and your country of nationality.
EB-1 Visa Application Process
The process for an EB-1 green card is relatively simple relative to many other work-related visas.
- Step 1: You must secure an employer, unless you are applying for the EB-1A visa for extraordinary individuals.
- Step 2: An I-140 petition is filed with the USCIS. The employer pays fees related to the I-140, unless you can self-petition.
- Step 3: Once the petition is approved, you must check to see when your priority date is current with the filing dates listed in the visa bulletin. If your priority date matches or surpasses the filing date chart, you can file an I-485 application to change status.
- Step 4: When the I-485 is approved, your EB-1 green card will be issued!
Because the EB-1 is a first preference visa, the priority dates for most countries are current, meaning you can file the I-140 petition and the I-485 concurrently.