Guidelines for Outstanding Professor or Researcher Petitions

Learn more about the Outstanding Professor or Researcher category of permanent residence petitions. This category is only one of the several pathways to permanent residency. 

Eligibility Requirements

An offer of a permanent teaching or research position: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) considers a permanent position to be one that is either tenured, tenure-track, or for a period of indefinite or unlimited duration, not a fixed term

At least three years of teaching and/or research experience in the field of specialization: Provide evidence to establish that you have at least three years of teaching and/or research in the academic field. You may provide a copy of a contract from the current and/or previous employer; or a letter from a current or former employer. The letter must list the name, address, phone number/e-mail address, and title of the writer, as well as a specific description of your duties and the dates of employment. Experience in teaching or research while working on an advanced degree will count only if you have acquired the degree, and if you had full responsibility for the class taught; or if the research has been recognized as outstanding in the academic field.

Documented outstanding accomplishments in the field: The petition must establish that the beneficiary is internationally recognized as outstanding in a specific academic field. Evidence of international recognition should be in the form of letters of recommendation from former and/or current employers/colleagues/peers who are recognized experts in the field, regarding your outstanding achievements and international recognition of your work. Letters should be from recommenders from a variety of institutions, who may be in the US or abroad. Biographic sketches or abbreviated resumes of these individuals may be included. The recommender must at least describe their own expertise; their relationship to you; and your employment experience and original and outstanding research contributions. 

 

Additional Information on Letters of Recommendation

It is crucial to obtain expert opinion from objective and established people in the field. These letters form one of the cornerstones of the outstanding professor/researcher category. The Department of Homeland Security carefully weighs the credibility of letters submitted, and letters from parties that do not have a direct interest in the outcome of the case are particularly persuasive. The letters should be as detailed as possible and should serve three major purposes: to establish your standing in the field; to detail the significance of your original contributions; to provide documentary evidence for some of the eligibility criteria that may not be so easily documented (e.g. judging the work of others, or playing a critical role at a distinguished institution). Letters describing only potential (not yet realized contributions), will carry less weight, and may even harm the petition. The letters must come from individuals representing a variety of groups, such as, academic institutions in the US and/or abroad; government institutions in the US and/or abroad; the business community in the US and/or abroad; professional associations in the US and/or abroad. There is no required minimum number of support letters. Quality and not quantity is the key. It is recommended that no more than two or three letters come from your current employer.

Note that the Outstanding Professor / Researcher petition is filed by the employer, not the employee. Therefore the letters should be written in support of LSU’s immigrant petition in which you are the beneficiary. Recommendation letters should be forwarded to ifso@lsu.edu for review. They should be addressed to: The Director, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Texas Service Center.

 

Criteria for the Outstanding Professor/Researcher Category

To document outstanding accomplishments and recognition in the field, you must demonstrate at least two of the following six criteria.

  1. Receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievements in the academic field. Submit copies of prestigious international as well as national awards.
    • Provide information on the reputation of the organization granting the award.
    • Provide information on the significance of the award.
    • Provide information on the criteria for selection of beneficiaries of the award.
  2. Membership in associations which require outstanding achievement of their members. 
    • Submit evidence of the requirements which must be met for membership, or limitations on membership.
    • You may submit the section of the constitution or bylaws of the association that clearly enumerates the criteria for membership.
    • Documentation may also be in the form of a letter from an independent source describing the association and the criteria for membership. 
  3. Published materials in professional publications written by others about your work. The publication should discuss or analyze your work. A brief reference to your work is not sufficient. Although citation of your work in professional journals can be used, submission of citation indexes by themselves may not be given as much consideration.  
    • Submit photocopies of the cover page and page(s) of articles written by others where your name appears and your work is discussed.
    • Highlight the portion of the paper that references your work, and highlight your name in the bibliography, or “work cited” section.
    • Submit evidence to establish the significance of the publication in which the article appears.
  4. Participation, either individually or as part of a panel, as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied academic field. This includes requests to serve as a reviewer/referee for articles to be published, invitations to serve on discussion and advisory panels, supervision of Ph.D. students, etc. 
    • Submit copies of letters requesting your participation, thank you letters, evidence of supervision of Ph.D. students, etc.
    • Submit documentation of the criteria for selection as a judge of work of others (panelist, reviewer, etc.) if this information is available.
  5. Original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field. Documentation for this criterion can take many forms. Evidence should establish that your work has made an impact in the field. Letters from recognized experts in the field can help document this criterion. 
    • Submit a list of presentations, including date, place and significance of the event.
    • Submit copies of patents or other recognition of a contribution or achievement.
  6. Authorship of scholarly books or articles in scholarly journals with international circulation, in the academic field. It is not necessary to submit an entire article or book. You should provide at least a title page and the relevant pages which include the citation, and the references section. 
    • Submit a list of publications with international circulation, with complete citations.
    • Submit photocopies of cover pages of selected publications (a representative sample, if you have a long list of publications), particularly those that your name is listed first.
    • Explain the significance of the publications in which the articles appeared.

 

Translations

If any document is in a language other than English, it must be submitted along with a certified English translation. The translator must certify that they are competent to translate and that the translation is accurate. 

 

Filing Fees

The USCIS processing fee is $715. Premium processing service is available for an additional $2805. Make checks payable to the Department of Homeland Security.

 

Concurrent Filing

It is possible to file an Immigrant Petition (form I-140) at the same time as the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjustment of Status (form I-485). An immigrant visa number must be immediately available for the adjustment applicant, in order to file form I-485. As part of an adjustment of status application, you and your dependents can file an I-765 application for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) concurrently with the I-485.

 

Contact

Questions about this article can be directed to the International Faculty & Scholars Office, ifso@lsu.edu

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