前两者中的亲属绿卡,全称为Family Based Green Card,简称FB。受个人能力影响的程度很小,运气是决定性因素。目前亲属移民对于非直属父母、成年子女来说,普遍存在漫长排期,从数年到十几年不等。另外,曾经风行中国的通过嫁娶美籍人获得身份的路子已经越来越窄。一方面是因为华裔ABC男女在过去十几二十年数量激增,在语言、文化背景上占尽优势,其在婚姻市场上竞争力完爆后来才去美国的中国年轻男女。另一方面是因为中国赴美留学、访学年轻适婚男女数量激增,加大了婚姻市场上的竞争。
另一大类绿卡途径是工作绿卡,全称为 Employment Based Green Card,简称EB。这一大类绿卡基本概念是用于引进可以满足美国国家利益需求的人才,在找不到足够美国公民的工作领域引进新移民劳动力。EB绿卡根据面向对象的差异,一共可以分为5个类别,分别为EB1,EB2,EB3,EB4,EB5。对于广大留学、访学人员来说,EB绿卡是相对比较现实的解决身份问题的途径。
下面对5种EB绿卡简介:
EB1: Employment First Preference (E1): Priority Workers
A First Preference applicant must be the beneficiary of an approved Immigrant Petition for Foreign Worker, Form I-140, filed with USCIS. Labor certification is not required for any of the Priority Worker subgroups. Priority Workers receive 28.6 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas.
A, Persons with extraordinary ability. 国际杰出人才,是EB1里面要求最高,审核最严格的通道,具有不需要排期、不需要雇主、可以自荐申请的优势。
B, Outstanding professors and researchers. 优秀教授与研究者,是EB1里面要求第二高的通道,不需要排期,但需要雇主。
C, Multinational managers or executives. 跨国企业资深管理层,通常是美国特大企业的亚太、中国区经理之类的商业人员,不需要排期,但需要雇主。
这个A,B,C 也分别称为 EB1A, EB1B, EB1C。
EB2: Employment Second Preference (E2): Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability
A Second Preference applicant must generally have a labor certification approved by the Department of Labor. A job offer is required and the U.S. employer must file an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, on behalf of the applicant. Applicants may apply for an exemption, known as a National Interest Waiver, from the job offer and labor certification if the exemption would be in the national interest. In this case, the applicant may self-petition by filing the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, along with evidence of the national interest. Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability receive 28.6 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas, plus any unused visas from the Employment First Preference category.
EB3:Employment Third Preference (E3): Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers)
A Third Preference applicant must have an approved Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, filed by the prospective employer. All such workers generally require labor certification approved by the Department of Labor. Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers) receive 28.6 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas, plus any unused visas from the Employment First Preference and Second Preference categories.
EB4:Employment Fourth Preference (E4): Certain Special Immigrants
A Fourth Preference applicant must be the beneficiary of an approved Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, Form I-360, with the exception of Certain Employees or Former Employees of the U.S. Government Abroad (see number 3 below). Labor certification is not required for any of the Certain Special Immigrants subgroups. Special Immigrants receive 7.1 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas.
Immigrant Investor visa categories are for capital investment by foreign investors in new commercial enterprises in the United States which provide job creation. Select Immigrant Investor Visas to learn more about this employment-based category.
对于大多数绿卡申请人来说,第一步是先持有临时工作签证(OPT or H1B or O1/L1),然后办理劳工认证(LC),LC通过之后在雇主支持下递交相应EB系列的I140资格审核申请,通过之后,在排期轮到自己时在美国境内递交I485进行身份转换获得绿卡,或者在自己所属国通过领事馆流程(Consular Processing, CP) 获得绿卡。不同EB类别的第二部也就是I485/CP都是一样的,只是查犯罪背景、体检、出生证明之类;不同EB的区别只存在于第一步I140。而对于EB1A/NIW这两类特殊人员,则不需要进行LC,也不需要雇主支持,可以自己为自己发起申请。
美国移民局USCIS对于NIW申请人的审核,主要是根据一个叫 Three-Prong Test 的原则进行评判,这是原话:
As there is no statutory or regulatory definition of the term “national interest”, USCIS relies on a 1998 Administrative Appeals Office precedent decision setting forth a three-prong test for evaluating requests for a national interest waiver.
Requirement 1: You must show that you plan on working in the United States in an area of substantial intrinsic merit.
Requirement 2: You must show that the proposed impact of your work is national in scope.
Requirement 3: You must show waiving the labor certification requirement would benefit the national interests of the United States.
The EB-1 extraordinary ability classification is for people who are recognized as being at the very top of their field and who are coming to the United States to continue work in that field. To establish eligibility, you must demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and that your achievements have been recognized in the field of expertise by showing: (1) that you have received a major internationally recognized award, similar to a Nobel Prize; or (2) that you meet at least three of the ten requirements listed below and all your evidence, when evaluated together, shows that you are among the small percentage of individuals that have risen to the very top of your field. If you have not received a major internationally recognized award, you must answer yes and submit evidence for at least 3 of the 10 questions below:
Have you received any lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field of endeavor?
Are you a member of associations that require outstanding achievements of their members as judged by recognized national or international experts?
Is there published material in professional or major trade publications or major media about you which relates to your work in the field?
Have you participated on a panel or individually as a judge of the work of others in the same or in an allied field of specialization?
Have you made original scientific, scholarly or business contributions that are of major significance?
Have you authored scholarly articles in professional journals or other major media?
Has your work been displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases?
Have you played a leading or critical role for an organization with a distinguished reputation?
Have you or will you command a high salary or other remuneration for your services in comparison to others in your field?
Have you enjoyed commercial successes in the performing arts?
明确了自己的行业特点和3个亮点之后,第二步是要用多方面证据证明申请人 “rise to the very top in field of endeavor”。这也是EB1A里面陷阱最多,难度最大的一步。大家都知道,top这个概念肯定是相对而言的,而EB1A成功申请者,大多数是在行业有深厚积累的专家,这一类高成功率的申请者往往年龄在35-55岁。另一类申请者是进入行业年限不算特别长,但在较短时间内有一定积累,年龄一般在30出头。30岁以下成功EB1A申请者,不是没有,但非常少,因为一般来说,至少是硕士以上学位持有人再加上好几年行业积累才会有机会达到EB1A的三个标准,因此年龄几乎不可能低于27岁,很少低于30岁。如果我们把EB1A的合格候选人按照年龄划分,可以大概分成两个年龄段:27-35岁的低龄段,和35-55岁中高龄段。由于入行时间的漫长,以及成果积累的深厚,中高龄段申请人,在实力上毫无疑问完爆低龄段;因此低龄段申请人要证明自己 “rise to the very top in field of endeavor” 是一个很艰难的过程。我经过长时间思考与实践,发展出几个有利于证明自己 “rise to the very top in field of endeavor” 的策略,这里进行分享。
第一个策略来自于常见的商业策略—市场细分。自荐EB1A,其实本质上等同于一种自我营销,必须让目标方(USCIS)认同自己的价值。之前也提到低龄组申请EB1A存在先天劣势,就相当于我们这种低龄组在商品绝对价值上确实比不过高龄组。要和高龄组正面PK硬实力,是一种自杀式行为,几乎100%会被直接KO。在现代商业哲学上,针对这种绝对实力不如对手的情况,聪明的做法是首先收缩战线,通过瞄准一个更小更特定的群体进行商业策略制定(市场细分)。因此这里一个很重要的理念就是缩小战线,在一个缩减的亚领域进行 “rise to the very top in field of endeavor” 的论证。打个比方,我是研究人员,要证明我是研究人员里面的top是很困难的,但我把战线收缩,只证明我是medical research里面的cardiovascular disease research小分类中的top,那就相对容易多了!但要注意,这种领域的收缩不是任意收缩或者自创一个领域来凸显自己,领域收缩必须是有客观存在领域的前提下,而且不能过度收缩导致目标领域已经失去社会重要性。这里的分寸需要申请人自己考察,准确把握。
最后把所有论证材料全部准备好,在律师所配合下写好Petition Letter,就完成了EB1A的申请准备,进入发起申请的阶段。对于EB1类的I140申请,不同于其他EB亚类,可以使用Premium Processing(PP) 服务,就是支付1225$的费用给USCIS,让USCIS在收到你的材料的15个日历日内,对I140给出审核结果。如果通过,会发放Approval Notice给申请人,递交I485或做CP。如果USCIS认为申请人有一定水平,但还需要额外证据帮助判断,则会发放RFE(Request for Evidence),申请人需要在30天内组织好新的材料提交到USCIS,通常收到RFE的申请人最终还是有一半能通过。如果USCIS认为申请人资格不够EB1A标准,则会发放NOID(Notification of Intention of Denial),收到NOID的话,基本就是九死一生了。