Congratulations are in order for one of our clients, who, along with his entire family, just received their 10-year green cards. Our firm filed an I-140 extraordinary ability petition for him a little over a year ago, which is one of the hardest immigration cases our firm handles. We then followed it up with an I-485 adjustment of status.
The I-140 Extraordinary Ability Petition
The I-140 extraordinary ability form is an immigrant visa petition that is reserved for overseas-based workers who have “extraordinary ability” in the following fields:
- Arts
- Business
- Education
- Sciences
- Sports
When their expertise and standing as a top candidate in their field are established, they can be granted lawful permanent residency in the U.S.
But proving that the individual has “extraordinary ability” is easier said than done. USCIS has very strict standards before granting I-140 visa status. They consider if the individual has national or international acclaim, international awards, contributions of major significance, etc.
These high standards make it difficult to get approved for an I-140 extraordinary ability visa. But the fact that we were able to get our client approved for it is a reason for celebration.
I-485 Adjustment of Status
Proceeding the filing of an I-140 petition, an individual can file form I-485 for adjustment of status to a permanent resident of the U.S. This serves as the official application for a United States green card.
In the case of our client, he and his family members were able to obtain their family-based green cards successfully by virtue of his I-140 visa status.
Congratulations to them my team and I wish them the very best in their future in the United States.