I attended lectures and served as a ‘staff volunteer’ at them. Does that count?

In the EB-1, attending lectures and serving as a ‘staff volunteer’ can add to your resume, but these activities, on their own, typically do not meet the standard of the category. The visa requires a demonstration of extraordinary ability, which goes beyond participation in events.

The difference lies in impact. Taking part in an event shows engagement; the EB-1 looks for evidence that your work had recognized repercussions in your field. For that reason, activities like these carry more weight when tied to concrete results.

To strengthen your overall case, the ideal approach is to gather more robust evidence, such as:

• Awards, publications, and recognitions in your field.
• Projects or contributions that generated verifiable impact.
• Documentation that contextualizes the relevance of your activities.

The assessment is made holistically, taking your entire career trajectory into account. It is worth checking the updated requirements with USCIS or with a specialist before filing.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.