Criteria guides
Every criterion, explained in plain English
O-1A has 8 criteria. O-1B has 6. EB-1A has 10. EB-2 NIW has 3 tests. Here is what each one asks for, what counts, what does not, and what it looks like in your field.
Last checked September 2026 · Sources
- O-1A needs
- 3 of 8 or major award
- O-1B needs
- 3 of 6 or major nomination
- EB-1A needs
- 3 of 10 or major award
- EB-2 NIW needs
- EB-2 plus 3 prongs
Before you start
How the criteria actually work
For O-1A and EB-1A, you need either one major, internationally recognized award (think Nobel Prize level) or proof that you meet at least 3 of the listed criteria. (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii); 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3))
Meeting 3 is not the finish line. USCIS then looks at all your evidence together. It asks whether you have sustained national or international acclaim and are among the small percentage at the very top of your field. So 3 strong criteria usually beat 5 weak ones. (USCIS Policy Manual, O-1; USCIS Policy Manual, EB-1A)
O-1B is for the arts. The bar is distinction: a level of skill and recognition well above what is usual, so that you are prominent, renowned, leading or well-known in your field. A nomination for a major award, such as an Emmy or Grammy, can be enough on its own. (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iv))
EB-2 NIW works differently. You first qualify for EB-2 with an advanced degree or exceptional ability. Then you pass three tests, called the Dhanasar prongs. (USCIS Policy Manual, NIW)
For O-1A, O-1B in the arts and EB-1A, if a criterion does not readily apply to your job, the rules let you offer comparable evidence instead. You have to explain why the standard criterion does not fit and why your evidence is just as strong. This does not apply to O-1 film and TV cases or to the NIW prongs. (8 CFR 214.2; 8 CFR 204.5)
O-1A: science, business, education, athletics
The 8 O-1A criteria
You need at least 3, then USCIS weighs everything together. A US employer or US agent must file an O-1 for you. You cannot file it yourself. (USCIS O-1 page)
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Awards
Nationally or internationally recognized prizes for excellence in your field. Counts: awards from well-known national bodies, some dissertation awards, best-paper awards at recognized conferences. Weak: awards open only to one school, employer or city, and awards given to a company instead of you.
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Memberships
Membership in an association that requires outstanding achievement, judged by recognized experts. Counts: fellow levels such as IEEE Fellow. Does not count: membership you get by paying a fee, having a degree, years of experience, or because your job requires it.
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Press about you
Articles about you and your work in professional or major trade publications or major media, with title, date and author. Does not count: passing mentions, articles about only your company, paid content or marketing.
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Judging
Judging the work of others, alone or on a panel. Counts: completed peer reviews for journals or conferences, PhD dissertation committees, reviewing for government funding programs, judging competitions. You need proof you actually did it. An invitation alone is not enough.
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Original contributions
Original scientific, scholarly or business contributions of major significance. Counts: work cited at a high level for your field, patents that others license or use, code or data repositories with proven impact, expert letters that explain your specific impact. A patent or paper alone shows originality, not major significance.
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Scholarly articles
Articles you wrote in professional journals or other major media. Counts: peer-reviewed papers and published proceedings of recognized conferences. You do not need to be first or sole author.
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Critical role
A critical or essential role for organizations with a distinguished reputation. Counts: faculty or research roles at a distinguished department or company, principal investigator on a merit-based grant such as SBIR, founder of a startup with a distinguished reputation. Your title alone is not proof. Show what you did and why it mattered.
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High salary
Pay that is high compared with others in your field, now or in a job offer. Show pay records or a contract plus wage data for your role and location. Broad job categories are weak comparisons.
Sources: 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii); USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4.
O-1B: the arts
The 6 O-1B criteria
You need a nomination for or win of a significant national or international award, or at least 3 of these. The rules define arts as any field of creative activity, such as fine arts, visual arts, culinary arts and performing arts. Directors, designers, choreographers and other essential people count too. Film and TV work has its own close variant of these rules. (8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(ii))
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Lead roles at distinguished events
You have performed, and will perform, as a lead or starring participant in productions or events with a distinguished reputation. You need both past and future roles. A solo show can count if the show’s reputation is documented. A famous venue does not make the event famous.
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National or international recognition in print
Critical reviews or other published material by or about you in major newspapers, trade journals or magazines.
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Lead or critical role for distinguished organizations
You have performed, and will perform, a lead, starring or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation, shown by articles or testimonials.
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Commercial or critical success
A record of major commercial or critically acclaimed success, such as title, rating, standing in the field, box office receipts or TV ratings, reported in trade journals or major press.
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Recognition from experts
Significant recognition from organizations, critics, government agencies or recognized experts. Letters must show the writer’s authority and knowledge of your work.
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High pay
A high salary or other substantial pay compared with others in your field, shown by contracts or other reliable evidence.
Sources: 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iv); USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4.
EB-1A: green card for extraordinary ability
The 10 EB-1A criteria
You need at least 3, then a final review of everything together. You can file EB-1A yourself, with no employer or job offer, if you will keep working in your field in the US. (8 CFR 204.5(h)(5))
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Awards
Lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes for excellence. The award must go to you. Awards open only to one locality, employer or school carry little weight.
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Memberships
Membership that requires outstanding achievement, judged by recognized national or international experts. Not membership based on education, experience, a fee or a job requirement.
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Press about you
Published material about you and your work in professional or major trade publications or major media. Not marketing, not paid ads, not articles only about your employer.
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Judging
Judging others’ work in your field or an allied field. For peer review, show the journal’s request and proof you completed the review.
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Original contributions of major significance
Contributions that have had real impact on your field. Citations well above your field’s norm, commercial use of a patented technology, or wide adoption can help. Being funded, patented or published alone is not enough.
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Scholarly articles
Articles you wrote for experts in your field, in professional or major trade publications or major media. Published proceedings of recognized conferences can count.
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Exhibitions
Display of your own work at artistic exhibitions or showcases. This one is for artistic work. Non-artistic shows can only come in as comparable evidence.
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Leading or critical role
A leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation. Founding a startup with a distinguished reputation can count.
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High salary
Pay that is significantly high compared with others in your field. A credible contract or job offer can help. Use wage data that matches your role and location.
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Commercial success in the performing arts
Box office receipts or music or video sales that show success compared with others. Simply releasing an album or appearing in a production is not enough.
Sources: 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3); USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2.
EB-2 NIW
The three NIW prongs
First you must qualify for EB-2: a US advanced degree or foreign equal, a bachelor’s plus 5 years of progressive experience, or exceptional ability. Then USCIS checks three prongs. You can file NIW yourself.
| Prong | What USCIS asks | Evidence that can help | What falls short |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Merit and national importance | Does your planned work have substantial merit and national importance? | A clear, specific plan. Proof of wider impact, such as effects on a field, an industry or public health. Local work can still be nationally important. | Broad claims that you will help the economy or create jobs, with no proof behind them. |
| 2. Well positioned | Are you well positioned to move this work forward? | Degrees, skills, a record of success, citations, patents, funding or investment received, contracts, letters from agencies or users of your work. | Claims with no proof behind them. You do not need to prove you will succeed, but you need a record. |
| 3. On balance | Is it good for the US to waive the job offer and labor certification? | Why a labor certification would be impractical, why your work helps the US broadly, and urgency where it applies. | A case where the first two prongs are thin. |
An advanced STEM degree, especially a PhD tied to your plan in a critical or emerging technology, is an especially positive factor. Sources: USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5; 8 CFR 204.5(k).
By field
What evidence often looks like in your field
These are common fits, not guarantees. The same kind of proof can be strong in one case and weak in another.
| Field | Evidence that often fits | Criteria it can support |
|---|---|---|
| Researchers | Published papers, completed peer reviews, national awards, citations well above your field’s average | Scholarly articles, judging, awards, original contributions |
| Engineers | Conference papers, patents others license or use, open-source code with proven impact, pay well above peers in your role | Scholarly articles, original contributions, high salary |
| Founders | A startup with a distinguished reputation, press about you (not only your company), startup juries where you scored entries | Critical role, press about you, judging |
| Clinicians | Published clinical studies, completed peer reviews, a society fellowship granted by experts for outstanding work | Scholarly articles, judging, memberships |
| Artists and creators | Past and upcoming lead roles or solo shows at well-known events, reviews in major press, a major award nomination | O-1B lead roles, recognition in print, award nomination |
A clinical training fellowship is training, and a medical license or board certification is a credential. Neither is a qualifying membership (our reading of the Policy Manual).
FAQ
Common worries
Not yet. Meeting 3 criteria gets you to the second step. USCIS then looks at all the evidence together to decide whether you are at the top of your field. A partner-firm attorney confirms whether your record is strong enough before anything is filed. (USCIS Policy Manual)
Not by itself. USCIS wants the request plus proof you completed the review.
No, and we will not help you try. Paid awards, bought panel seats, pay-to-join memberships and pay-to-publish journals do not show acclaim. They can also hurt your credibility with USCIS.
It is a different test. NIW looks at your planned work and whether you are positioned to do it, instead of acclaim at the top of the field. But you must qualify for EB-2 first, and the three prongs still need real proof. (USCIS Policy Manual, NIW)
The rules allow comparable evidence when a criterion does not readily apply to your job. For example, USCIS mentions that presenting work at a major trade show may be comparable to scholarly publication for some non-academic fields. (USCIS Policy Manual, O-1)
See your own score, criterion by criterion
Upload your resume and Frank shows where you stand for O-1A, O-1B, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW. No account or card. Frank then finds real opportunities, like panels, peer review and speaking calls, ranked by the criterion they help.
Sources · checked September 2026
- eCFR, 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)-(v): O-1 evidentiary criteria
- eCFR, 8 CFR 204.5(h) and (k): EB-1A and EB-2
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4 (O-1 evidence)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2 (EB-1A)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5 (EB-2 and NIW)
- USCIS, O-1 Visa: Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
