Immigrant Visas

A total of 140,000 immigrant visas yearly are available for this category which is divided into five preference groups: (percent of yearly limit in parentheses):

1. Priority Workers:
Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics: outstanding professors and researchers: and certain multinational executives and managers (28.6%).

2. Members of the Professions:
Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, and business (28.6%).

3. Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers:
Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years of experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States (28.6%).
(Unskilled workers are subject to a sublimit of 10,000.)

4. Special Immigrants:
Certain religious workers and ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and specially qualified and recommended current and former employees of the United States Government (7.1%).