I have 2 years of experience abroad and 1 year in the U.S. Can I qualify for EB-1C?

Possibly, it depends on how your experience is characterized. In the EB-1C, what sustains the petition is having served in a managerial or executive role abroad, at the company that has a qualifying relationship with the U.S. entity. Your two years outside the country may count, provided they genuinely involved a leadership role.

An important point: the time you have already worked inside the United States is generally not counted toward meeting the foreign experience requirement. That requirement looks at your work outside the country, within a recent window prior to the petition.

• What matters most is the managerial or executive nature of the position abroad, thoroughly documented.
• U.S. experience matters for your career, but it does not substitute for the required time abroad.
• The qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. company must be established.

Since the minimum required period and how it is calculated are defined by the competent authority, it is worth checking the updated requirements at the official source (USCIS) or with a specialist to evaluate your specific case.

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.