Practice
EB-1C Green Cards: Multinational Managers and Executives
When a Related U.S. Company Can Petition for Permanent Residence
You have been a manager or executive abroad, and a related U.S. company is ready to employ you in that same capacity. EB-1C is an immigrant classification for multinational managers and executives. The U.S. company files Form I-140 — this is not a self-petition. Spouse and children can often be included as derivatives. Immigration Ascent, a division of Gillespie, Shields and Taylor, walks you through the qualifying relationship, the one-year abroad rule, and what the record must show. We explain what the record supports and what it does not. We do not guarantee outcomes.
Who Qualifies for EB-1C Classification
You may be eligible for EB-1C if the petitioning U.S. employer and your work history fit these core requirements: A job title is not enough. USCIS looks at who you supervise, what you decide, and how the two companies are actually related.
- **Qualifying relationship:** The U.S. petitioner is a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch of the foreign employer
- **One year abroad:** You worked for the related foreign entity in a managerial or executive capacity for at least one of the three years before the petition (or before your admission, if you are already in the United States in a related status such as L-1A)
- **U.S. role:** The U.S. company will employ you in a managerial or executive capacity — not primarily as a first-line supervisor of non-professional staff, and not primarily performing the day-to-day operations of the business
- **Doing business:** The U.S. petitioner has been doing business in the United States for at least one year
- **Employer petition:** The related U.S. company files Form I-140. You cannot self-petition in EB-1C
- **Family:** A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may typically seek derivative permanent residence if the principal is approved
The EB-1C Process, Step by Step
- 01Confirm the corporate relationship, ownership, and that both entities are doing business
- 02Map your foreign and U.S. duties against the managerial or executive definitions
- 03Gather organizational charts, payroll, tax, and corporate documents for both entities
- 04File Form I-140 with a petition letter that ties the facts to the regulation
- 05Respond to a Request for Evidence if USCIS questions the relationship, the one-year period, or the nature of the role
- 06Upon I-140 approval, check the visa bulletin and prepare for adjustment of status or consular processing
- 07File Form I-485 or pursue an immigrant visa abroad when a visa number is available, including eligible derivatives
How Long Does EB-1C Take?
Document collection for two companies often takes longer than the form itself. Once the I-140 is filed, processing times vary by service center and whether premium processing is used. Visa bulletin retrogression can delay adjustment even after I-140 approval. We check live processing times and bulletin data for your situation rather than quoting one fixed timeline.
What We Handle
- EB-1C eligibility review of the corporate relationship and the role
- Duty letters, org charts, and I-140 petition strategy
- Coordination with L-1A status where it is already in place
- RFE responses on managerial or executive capacity
- Adjustment of status or consular processing for you and eligible family members
Frequently Asked Questions
Review an EB-1C Path
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