Overview

Green cards through employment are divided into five preference categories. In each category, only a limited number are given out each year.

The five employment preference categories are:

1. Employment First Preference (EB-1): 1) superstars who have extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, and 2) professors and researchers who are outstanding.

2. Employment Second Preference (EB-2):1) members of the professions holding advanced degrees or their equivalent, 2) immigrants with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business, and 3) immigrants who use a National Interest Waiver (NIW) instead of Labor Certification

3. Employment Third Preference (EB-3):1) immigrants who have baccalaureate degrees and are members of the professions (professional workers), 2) immigrants who has skilled labor for which qualified U.S. workers are not available (skilled workers), and 3) other workers who are capable of performing unskilled labor for which qualified U.S. workers are not available (unskilled workers)

4. Employment Fourth Preference (EB-4): Special immigrant including religious workers (ministers and religious professionals) and miscellaneous subcategories.

5. Employment Fifth Preference (EB-5): Immigrant Investors