How many criteria do you need to meet for EB-1A?

At least three of the ten USCIS criteria. But meeting criteria is not enough: the officer additionally evaluates the case as a whole (final merits) and must see sustained acclaim and that you are among the best in your field. In the community's experience, a denial is possible even with 5 or more criteria counted if this second part is not proven.

If I met 5 criteria, is the visa guaranteed?

No. Meeting criteria is only the first stage. Next the officer looks at the case as a whole (final merits): you need to show sustained acclaim and a position at the top of the profession. It happens that the criteria are formally met, yet the officer writes that the applicant is not extraordinary enough. The outcome depends largely on the strength of the evidence and on the officer.

What is final merits, and why are cases denied even with three criteria?

Final merits is the final evaluation of the case as a whole after the individual criteria are checked: the officer decides whether you demonstrate sustained acclaim and belong to the top of the profession. That is why, even with three or more criteria counted, a NOID may arrive demanding proof that you are really at the top of your field.

Can I quickly collect all the awards and file right away?

Better not: the officer wants to see sustained acclaim spread over time, not achievements gathered all at once right before filing. Ideally the recognition should be distributed over recent years. Fresh, hastily created awards and publications can raise questions and an RFE.

Reference

US visa types: every category and who qualifies

Updated: September 25, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

Key answer

In short

US visas split into nonimmigrant (B-1/B-2, F-1, J-1, H-1B, L-1, O-1) and immigrant (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, EB-2/EB-3 via PERM, EB-5, family). Without an employer or relatives in the US three routes are real: O-1 through an agent, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW by self-petition. The pause on DV lottery visa issuance was lifted on Aug 28, 2026, and the State Department has not yet announced the DV-2027 entry dates.

What is open to Russians The relocation plan Work visas The DV green card lottery The H-1B visa: lottery and fee Asylum: Form I-589 and timeline Match in 5 questions

12categories in the table

86,239chat messages about them

129approval stories on the site

Nonimmigrant visas: temporary entry

Visa	Who	Who petitions	Green card	In the chats
B-1 / B-2the B1/B2 tourist visa	tourism, business trips, treatment	you, DS-160 and an interview	no	1,932
F-1the F-1 student visa	study at a university or a course	you, after the school issues an I-20	no, only through a change of status	3,868
J-1the J-1 visa	exchange, internships, researchers	the programme sponsor, DS-2019	no; often the two-year home rule	681
H-1BO-1 vs H-1B	specialists with a job offer	the employer, annual lottery	through PERM or EB-1A / NIW	1,248
L-1the L-1 visa	intra-company transfer	the employer after a year abroad	EB-1C for executives	715
O-1the O-1 visa	extraordinary ability: science, business, sport, arts	an employer or an agent, no lottery	a separate EB-1A / NIW petition	21,739

Immigrant visas: the green card

Visa	Who	Who petitions	Green card	In the chats
EB-1Athe EB-1A petition	3 of 10 extraordinary-ability criteria	you (self-petition)	this is the green card	16,337
EB-2 NIWthe EB-2 NIW petition	a project in the national interest, the three Dhanasar prongs	you (self-petition)	green card, queue by the bulletin	33,767
EB-2 / EB-3 (PERM)NIW vs PERM	employees with a sponsoring employer	the employer + DOL labor certification	green card after PERM and I-140	655
EB-5every path to the green card	investors from $800,000	you, through a regional centre or directly	conditional, then permanent	248
I-130 / K-1family and dependents	spouses, children, parents of citizens and residents	the relative in the US	green card by category and the bulletin	1,232

The lottery

Visa	Who	Who petitions	Green card	In the chats
DVrules and dates of the lottery	the green-card lottery	the December 2025 pause on DV visa issuance is no longer in effect (since Aug 28, 2026, by court order); the State Department has not yet announced the DV-2027 entry dates (as of Sep 25, 2026)	a green card for selectees	3,817

"In the chats" is how many messages in the Russian-speaking US-immigration chats mention the category (counted 2026-09-15); it measures what people actually ask about, not the visa's popularity.

What the chats ask about choosing a visa

38×which visa to choose?
7×What type of visa to choose?
7×which visa is better to choose?
3×I have worked for 3 years in the USA as a paraeducator with children with autism. I currently have TPS, re-parole. In Ukraine, I was a primary school teacher and a kindergarten teacher, with 16 years of experience in Ukraine; which visa do I qualify for?
2×what visa to obtain for a talented dwarf?
2×which visa is better for a talented person?

Community answers

Which visa should I choose: J-1, O-1, or H-1B?: The choice depends on the goal, timing, and the applicant's profile. H-1B is limited by an annual filing window and quotas, J-1 may have limits on duration and a possible return requirement, and O-1 is often seen as an option for strong professional cases without a lottery.

Where people go wrong - from the chats

mistakeDo not rely on unverified mandamus statistics without separating cases by visa type, country, 221(g), USCIS, border delays, and other categories; mixed data gives a distorted picture.

Real timelines named in the chats

Stage	Typically	Note
type not specified: agency/support response on the case	about 3 weeks	One participant reported that in their case they waited about 3 weeks for a response; the visa type and stage were not specified.
different visa types: mandamus for a prolonged administrative processing delay	more often considered after 6 months of waiting, sometimes filed earlier	The discussion mentions that attorneys often recommend considering a lawsuit after 6 months of administrative processing; earlier filings at around 4.5 months also appear.

Rules and tips from the chats

ruleLeaving the United States after filing green card documents can have different consequences depending on the stage of the process, current status, visa type, and whether travel authorization is available. There is no universal rule for all cases.
tipTo assess the risks of entry, administrative processing, or refusal, you need to consider the visa type, education, specialty, history of prior checks, and the individual details of the case.
tipIn administrative processing involving technology or sensitive fields, it is important to keep in mind that different countries and visa types may use screening differently.
common questionPeople often ask how long Administrative Processing can last and whether waiting several months or more than a year is normal for a specific consulate and visa type.

Questions and answers on the site

Distilled from the public community chats, anonymised; corpus as of June 2026. These are participants' observations, not legal advice and not USCIS statistics.

Frequently asked questions

How many criteria do you need to meet for EB-1A?: At least three of the ten USCIS criteria. But meeting criteria is not enough: the officer additionally evaluates the case as a whole (final merits) and must see sustained acclaim and that you are among the best in your field. In the community's experience, a denial is possible even with 5 or more criteria counted if this second part is not proven.
If I met 5 criteria, is the visa guaranteed?: No. Meeting criteria is only the first stage. Next the officer looks at the case as a whole (final merits): you need to show sustained acclaim and a position at the top of the profession. It happens that the criteria are formally met, yet the officer writes that the applicant is not extraordinary enough. The outcome depends largely on the strength of the evidence and on the officer.
What is final merits, and why are cases denied even with three criteria?: Final merits is the final evaluation of the case as a whole after the individual criteria are checked: the officer decides whether you demonstrate sustained acclaim and belong to the top of the profession. That is why, even with three or more criteria counted, a NOID may arrive demanding proof that you are really at the top of your field.
Can I quickly collect all the awards and file right away?: Better not: the officer wants to see sustained acclaim spread over time, not achievements gathered all at once right before filing. Ideally the recognition should be distributed over recent years. Fresh, hastily created awards and publications can raise questions and an RFE.

Where next

Sources

Reference, not legal advice; categories and rules change - verify on uscis.gov.