EB-4 Special Immigrant Visas
Explanation of the Employment Fourth-Preference Visa
EB-4 is the
employment immigration visa category that is tied for the lowest number of visas allocated by
the terms of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It also includes the
longest list of subcategories. Whereas the other types of employment-based
immigration visas generally include only two or three subcategories, the
EB-4 category features no fewer than 19 types of workers who may apply.
Subcategories of the EB-4 visa are highly limited and unique and are not
likely to include large numbers of applicants. The subcategories include,
but are not limited to:
- Broadcasters working in the U.S. in the service of the International Broadcasting
Bureau of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
- Certain former employees of the Panama Canal Company or the Canal Zone
Government
- Ministers of religion
- Iraqi and Afghan interpreters and translators who worked directly with
the U.S. Armed Forces for a minimum of one year
- Certain retired international organization employees, as well as their
unmarried children and surviving spouses
Our Virginia Immigration Lawyers Can Help You Apply for an EB-4 Visa
As mentioned above, the number of EB-4 visas is highly limited, with only
7.1 percent of the total 140,000 employment visas being allocated for
this category each year. Out of these 9,940 visas, certain categories
are even more restricted, such as the Iraqi and Afghan translator visas
which are limited to no more than 50 per year. It is not, however, required
that the individual applying for this category obtain an approved Form
I-140 sponsorship petition filed by a prospective employer.
If you are hoping to immigrate to the United States with an EB-4 visa,
you can contact us at Fayad Law, P.C. for help. We have offices in Fairfax
and Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC, and we provide our services to clients
internationally. Our Virginia immigration lawyers have more than twenty
years of combined legal experience, and we know how to get results when
working with the immigration legal system. Let us guide you throughout
the process and advocate on your behalf with immigration authorities!