• Employer - Required
• Labor Certification - Not required

This category is also referred to as E12 category.

Outstanding professors and researchers must be recognized internationally for their outstanding academic achievements in a particular field. They must have at least 3 years experience in teaching or research in that academic area, and enter the US in a tenure or tenure track teaching or comparable research position at a university or other institution of higher education. Temporary research positions don't qualify. The employer can also be a private company if they employ at least 3 persons full time in research activities and have achieved documented accomplishments in an academic field.

Premium processing is available.

Petition must be filed with the following documentation:

• Submit at least 2 of the following evidences:
  1. Receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement in the academic field.
     
     
  2. Membership in associations in the academic field which require to demonstrate outstanding achievements of their members.
     
     
  3. Published material in professional publications written by others about the alien's work in the academic field.
     
     
  4. Participation, either on a panel or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied academic field.
     
     
  5. Original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field.
     
     
  6. Authorship of scholarly books or articles, in scholarly journals with international circulations, in the academic field.
     
     
• Evidence the beneficiary has at least 3 years of experience in teaching and/or research in the academic field.
  
  
• Submit either of the following documents as applicable:
  • If a university or other institution of higher education is filing the petition, a letter indicating that it intends to employ the beneficiary in a tenured or tenure-track position as a teacher or in a permanent position as a researcher in the academic field; or
    
    
  • If a private employer is filing the petition, a letter indicating that it intends to employ the beneficiary in a permanent research position in the academic field, and evidence that it employs at least 3 full-time researchers and have achieved documented accomplishments in the field.

• Permanent, full time job offer.
• Form I-140 Petition for Immigrant Worker.
• When the priority date is current, either Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing.