IB
Back to Forum
L
liwei_eb1b_research
Sep 22, 2025, 1:00 PM1 min read

EB1B Outstanding Researcher - University vs Industry

EB-1
General

I'm a postdoc researcher at a major university and planning to file EB1B. I have some questions about the category.

My profile:

  • PhD in Biology
  • 3 years postdoc experience
  • 20 publications, 500 citations
  • Reviewed for Nature and Science journals
  • H-index: 15

Questions:

  1. University positions - is it easier to qualify?
  2. What counts as "outstanding"?
  3. How many recommendation letters needed?
  4. Can I self-petition or need employer?
  5. What's the difference between EB1A and EB1B?...

Join the discussion to share your experience

Sign InCreate Account

Replies
2

D
david_f1_phdSep 22, 2025, 3:00 PM

Amazing write-up! I'm taking notes for my future GC planning. For EB1B, do you know if university positions have an advantage over industry research positions?

L
liwei_eb1b_researchSep 22, 2025, 5:00 PM

@david_f1_phd From my research (pun intended), universities and research institutions like NIH, national labs, etc. are considered more "traditional" EB1B employers. But industry research positions at companies like Google Research, Microsoft Research, etc. can also qualify if they have permanent research positions (not just product development).

The key is the job must be a permanent research position, not temporary or consulting.

Back to Forum

Thread Stats

889

Views

2

Replies

CreatedSep 22, 2025, 1:00 PM
Last ActivitySep 22, 2025, 5:00 PM

Asked By

L

liwei_eb1b_research

Community Member