Immigrant Visas

Employment Based Visas

A total of 140,000 immigrant visas (sub-limitations listed in parentheses) are available on an employment basis, divided into five preference groups:

• Priority Workers: People of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and certain multinational executives and managers (40,000).
• Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts and business (40,000).
• Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States (40,000). (Unskilled workers are subject to a sub-limit of 10,000).
• Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers and ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and specially qualified and recommended current and former employees of the US Government (10,000).
• Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum amount of capital required is normally $1,000,000, depending upon the unemployment rate in the geographic area (10,000).