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Not everyone needs to have an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen in order to receive preference for a U.S. immigration visa. There are several additional ways to obtain U.S. permanent residency that depend on your employment. If you can answer yes to any of the following you may want to consider applying for permanent residency under one of several employment-based categories:

  1. Do you have special abilities in the sciences, sport or arts?

  2. Are you able to contribute significantly to the U.S. national interest?

  3. Can you invest a substantial amount in a U.S. business?

  4. Are you able to perform a job which requires two years of training?

  5. Are you a manager or executive of a U.S. based corporation?

  6. Are you a professional with at least a bachelor’s degree?

Congress has created five employment-based categories that next to immediate relatives have preference in immigrating to the United States.

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Employment based Immigration

The FIRST EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE

Aliens of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education business and athletics (no job-offer or labor certification required)
  • Outstanding professors or researchers with universities or private employers with established research departments (job-offer needed but no labor certification required)

  • Executives and managers of multi-national U.S. businesses (no labor certification

The SECOND EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE
Advanced degree professionals or aliens of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business whose work is in the national interest (job-offer and labor certification not required)
  • Aliens of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business (job-offer and labor certification required)

  • Advanced degree professionals (job-offer and labor certification required)

The THIRD EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE
Professionals with bachelor’s degrees who do not qualify for the second preference category (job-offer and labor certification required)
  • Skilled workers filing positions requiring at least two years of training and experience (job-offer and labor certification required)

  • Unskilled workers (job-offer and labor certification required)

The FOURTH EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE
Ministers and religious workers who demonstrate an affiliation with an employer or organization
The FIFTH EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE
Invest a minimum of $500,000 in a new or existing business that creates jobs in specified low-employment areas (no labor certification required)
  • Invest a minimum of $1 million in a new or existing business anywhere else in the United States. (no labor certification required)

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