EB1B information

EB-1B (Outstanding Professors and Researchers):

• Must be filed by UWL (private attorneys cannot file the EB-1B on behalf of the employee.)
• Available for research staff and faculty who are internationally recognized as outstanding in their specific academic area who work in a tenured or tenure-track position, or a comparable position to conduct research.
• The employee must have at least 3 years of experience in teaching or research in the academic field.
• The employee must be able to demonstrate they meet at least 2 of the 6 federal criteria for this category, as well as pass the “final merits determination” of whether or not the evidence provided demonstrates that the employee is recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic area.

UWL Statement on EB-1B:

Faculty who are interested in having UWL sponsor an EB-1B on their behalf are responsible for all costs associated with the petition (International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS)* fees, federal filing fees, and attorney fees**).

Given the level of evidence required, a faculty member may wish to consider outside legal assistance to help with document preparation. However, please note the limited scope of representation these attorneys can provide.***

An EB-1B requires that UWL attests to the criteria and outcomes indicating evidence of being an “outstanding professor and researcher.”

To qualify, faculty must show evidence of achievements in at least two of the following areas: major awards, membership in top associations, published work about your research, judging experience, original research, or authorship of scholarly books or articles.

UWL will not consider endorsing a candidate for an EB-1B unless the individual:

1. Is tenured at UWL
2. Has been promoted to Associate Professor**** at UWL

Note: Tenure and promotion are not considered final until approved by the UWSA Board of Regents.

In addition to being tenured and an associate professor, when assessing the influence of a candidate’s scholarship, UWL will appraise the overall quality of the portfolio within the context of the discipline of the candidate.

To be helpful to a candidate, the following criteria are recommended benchmarks but are not requirements.

1. Overall citation rate (UWL recommends a minimum number of 300) and
2. H-index of at least 5 (indicating 5 articles with a citation rate of 10 or more each).

Additional evidence will also be required associated with awards, presentations, etc. to establish a record of outstanding national and international contributions.

The Dean of the appropriate college provides the endorsement after consultation with the Provost. The Dean is under no obligation to provide a support letter and if support cannot be given, the process will not go forward.

Faculty who are tenured and promoted who desire UWL to consider the EB-1B option need to first speak to their Dean and then confer with HR.

EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability): 

• Must be filed by the employee (or their attorney).
• For individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, with sustained national or international acclaim. 

UWL Statement on EB-1A:

Faculty who are interested in pursuing an EB-1A are welcome to do so outside of UWL or IFSS** at any time. UWL will not financially aid in this endeavor and the application and costs are on the individual pursuing this category of permanent residency.

* International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) provides comprehensive assistance to the Universities of Wisconsin on all aspects of non-student immigration. The office acts as the liaison between the Universities of Wisconsin and all government agencies involved in immigration matters, and assists both the institution and individuals in complying with immigration laws and regulations.

**Wisconsin state statute prohibits outside attorneys from representing the University in its matters. See Sections 14.11(2) and 20.930, Wis. Stats.

*** If an attorney is secured the attorney is only representing the faculty member. The attorney can help the faculty member prepare the expert letters and documents. The attorney can draft the summary cover letter for the Dean to edit and sign as the Dean sees fit. The attorney can organize the supporting documents to demonstrate that the faculty member meets at least two of the six categories of evidence. They cannot prepare the I-140 petition.  UWL cannot sign a G-28 to allow your attorney to represent them (see above).

****If a faculty member is hired at the level of associate, promotion to Professor is required for endorsement. Tenure is required for advancing to the Professor rank at UWL. In the extremely rare case where a professor was to be hired into UWL with tenure and was in need of sponsorship, the decision about endorsement lies with the Provost.