Can I file EB-1C on my own, without an employer?

No. EB-1C is a category where the petition is filed by a U.S. employer related to the foreign company. If you are not tied to a company and want to self-petition, your options are EB-1A or EB-2 NIW.

How is EB-1C different from L-1A?

The logic is similar: 1 year of work abroad within the last 3 years, the petition is filed by the employer, and PERM is not required. But L-1A is a work visa, meaning a nonimmigrant visa, while EB-1C is an immigrant category, meaning a path to a green card. Having L-1A is not required for EB-1C.

Does managing only my own specialized work count?

Usually not. Managing only your own expert work, without subordinates or management of a function, generally is not considered a managerial or executive role. You need an organizational chart, a role description, and evidence of the actual scope of authority.

How long must the U.S. company have been operating by the time of filing?

At least 1 year. The U.S. employer must have been doing business for at least one year by the time the petition is filed and must be related to the foreign company as a branch, subsidiary, parent, or affiliate.

EB-1C: the visa for multinational executives and managers

Who qualifies for EB-1C, the requirements for a managerial or executive role, the relationship with the foreign company, and how the category is similar to L-1A.

Key answer

EB-1C (Multinational Manager or Executive) is a first-preference immigration category for executives and managers of international companies who are transferred to work at a related organization in the United States. It is not judged by a list of criteria: here, the focus is on the nature of your role and the relationship between the foreign and U.S. companies.

Briefly

EB-1C is for managers and executives who worked for a foreign company and are moving into a management position at its U.S. branch, subsidiary, or parent company. The petition is filed by the employer; PERM is not required.

The key feature of EB-1C is that a related company files the petition for you. Community members describe the set of options for employment-based immigration paths this way:

there are three options: 1. open your own company in the U.S. and work for yourself, have the company file the petition 2. find a sponsor company that files the petition

Anastasia V., communitypersonal opinion

Main requirements

Work abroad

You must have worked for at least 1 of the last 3 years for a foreign company in a managerial or executive role.

Company relationship

The U.S. employer must be related to the foreign company: branch, subsidiary, parent, or affiliated entity.

Management role in the U.S.

In the U.S., you move into a managerial or executive position.

Active business

The U.S. company must have been doing business for at least 1 year by the time the petition is filed.

What a managerial and executive role means

USCIS distinguishes between two types of roles, and it is important to show that your role truly fits one of them and is not an ordinary specialist or line position:

Manager: manages an organization, department, or function; supervises the work of other employees or a key function; makes decisions about hiring, firing, and assignments.
Executive: sets goals and policies; has broad discretion in decision-making; reports only to the board of directors, shareholders, or top management.

Common mistake

Managing only your own specialized work, without subordinates or without managing a function, usually does not count as managerial/executive. You need an org chart, a role description, and proof of the real scope of your authority.

How EB-1C is similar to and different from L-1A

EB-1C largely follows the logic of the nonimmigrant L-1A visa, but it is an immigration category, meaning a path to a green card:

Parameter	L-1A	EB-1C
Type	Work visa	Immigration category (green card)
Foreign work period	1 year out of the last 3	1 year out of the last 3
Who files	Employer	Employer
PERM	No	No

Many people go through L-1A first and then file EB-1C, but having L-1A is not required.

In practice, the main obstacle for EB-1C is often the employer's position: without its willingness to file the petition, the category is not available. Here is a typical situation from chat groups - a person on L-1A at a large international company, but the company does not sponsor green cards:

About me: I work in the oil and gas industry at a large international company, and I am in the U.S. on an L1A visa. My employer will not support the green card process, so I need to handle everything on my own.

Andrey M., communitypersonal opinion

In that case, EB-1C is not a fit, and the applicant usually looks at self-petition categories - EB-1A or EB-2 NIW.

How to prepare the case

Prepare documents showing the company relationship: articles of incorporation, ownership structure, and org charts for both organizations.
Describe your role abroad and in the U.S.: job duties, number of direct reports, budget, and authority.
Gather proof of the U.S. company's operations for one year: financial records, contracts, staff.
Organize the evidence in the exhibits organizer and support it with recommendation letters from management.

Takeaways

EB-1C is for managers and executives of international companies moving into a management role at a related organization in the U.S.
The category is not based on a list of criteria; the key points are the nature of the role and the company relationship.
The petition is filed by the employer, and PERM is not needed.
If you are not tied to a company and are filing on your own, consider EB-1A or EB-2 NIW.

Frequently asked questions

Criteria overview

EB-1B for researchers

How O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 differ

Recommendation letters

This is not legal advice

This material is for general informational purposes and is meant to help you organize your own preparation. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. U.S. immigration rules change - check the current USCIS requirements and consult a qualified professional before filing.

Related materials - What you must prove

All articles in «What you must prove»

Next stepRecommendation letter builderAssemble a strong letter outline from your answers. A structure to adapt, not a text written for you.

Criteria breakdown

Leading role

Documents and templates from the library

From community discussions

«Ask them to send all the documents BEFORE they're sent to USCIS. I had errors in the draft: instead of my receipt number there was a different number and person. They apologized and fixed it without any problem. But ask them to check everything before sending - paralegals can screw up, that's a fact.»
Anna · from public community chats
«I recommend using completely different wording, fonts, and formatting in the recommendation letters. Each person writes and formats in their own way: Dear USCIS officer, To whom it may concern, Dear Sir/Madam. The closings are different too, the header too - sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, sometimes a company letterhead.»
Anastasia · from public community chats
«How to choose an expert for a recommendation letter: founders or co-founders of successful startups (at least at Series A funding stage), C-level executives or VPs of large companies (100+ employees), investors, large customers, patent holders, government officials, leaders of prominent organizations.»
Aghasi · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

Did this answer help?

Open database - you can improve it

Found something off, or know what to add? Select text and hit "Suggest an edit", or propose an article/topic below.