What are the EB-1A extraordinary ability criteria?
FAQ.
Answered by Diane Rish, Deputy Director of the International Student Resource Center
Last updated: July, 2026
What are the EB-1A extraordinary ability criteria?
Unless you have a one-time, internationally recognized major award (like a Nobel Prize), you qualify by meeting at least three of ten criteria. Meeting three is only the first step — USCIS then reviews all your evidence together in a “final merits determination.”
The ten criteria, of which you must document at least three, are:
Receipt of nationally or internationally recognized awards.
Membership in an organization that requires outstanding achievements of its members.
Published material about you.
Having served as a judge of the work of others.
Contributions of major significance in your field.
Authorship of scholarly articles.
Display of your work at an artistic exhibition or showcase.
A leading or critical role for an organization with a distinguished reputation.
A high salary or other significantly high payment for your work.
Commercial success in the performing arts.
If one criterion does not relate to your occupation, you may rely on a different, comparable achievement and explain the comparison, but you still need at least three total. Only a one-time major achievement can stand alone.
Meeting three criteria does not by itself prove extraordinary ability. It only moves you past the first step. USCIS then conducts a “final merits determination,” reviewing all your evidence as a whole to decide whether you have sustained national or international acclaim and are among the small percentage at the very top of your field. Letters from colleagues, on their own, are generally not enough; they are most useful when supported by other evidence.