EB-1C Green Card

The EB-1C visa is an employment-based, first preference green card category for multinational executives and managers. It allows global companies to transfer high-level leadership to their U.S. offices and provides a direct pathway to permanent residence.

Who is the Visa for?

Examples include multinational executives, C-suite leaders, division heads, functional managers, and senior leaders transferred from a foreign parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary to a U.S. entity.

Eligibility Requirements

  • The applicant must have been employed outside the U.S. for at least 1 year in the past 3 years by the same employer (or affiliate/subsidiary) in a managerial or executive capacity.

  • The U.S. employer must have been doing business for at least 1 year and must be a qualifying organization (parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary).

  • The position in the U.S. must be in a managerial (supervising employees or managing a function) or executive (directing the organization, setting goals/policies) role.

  • Must demonstrate the continuing relationship between the foreign and U.S. entities.

Visa Duration:

  • As an immigrant visa/green card, this grants permanent residence (not limited like nonimmigrant visas).

  • Green card status is valid for 10 years and renewable indefinitely.

Processing Time:

  • I-140 (Standard): Several months

  • Premium Processing: 15 business days

  • I-485/Consular: Based on visa bulletin & country

OpenSphere Services:

  • Corporate structure & qualifying relationship analysis

  • Petition drafting & leadership evidence compilation

  • RFE/NOID response support

  • End-to-end guidance through I-140 and Adjustment of Status/Consular Processing