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Paths to Employment-Based Green Card Status
An employment-based green card can be obtained through employer sponsorship or, in some categories, through the applicant’s potential to benefit the U.S. professionally.
Employer sponsorship means that the employer files a petition with USCIS to qualify the prospective job for green card sponsorship. Only when that petition is approved may the foreign worker file a green card application based on employment.
Not all U.S. jobs will qualify for green card sponsorship. The law sets out narrow categories, and both the position and the sponsored employee must meet all qualifications for at least one of them.
Categories of Employment-Based Green Cards
There are three main types of employment-based green card available:
- EB-1 (employment-based first preference)
- EB-2 (employment-based second preference), and
- EB-3 (employment-based third preference).
Each also has subcategories, as detailed below.