I managed an overseas unit for 14 months. I am no longer with the company, but I want to pursue EB-1C. Can it work?

The EB-1C is the green card category for executives and managers transferred internationally. It combines two core requirements: a qualifying period of managerial or executive experience abroad, within the years preceding the petition, and a U.S. employer that petitions on your behalf and maintains a qualifying corporate relationship (parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate) with the foreign company.

In your situation, the 14 months leading an overseas unit suggest you may meet the managerial experience component. The more sensitive point is something else: EB-1C depends on a U.S. sponsor that employs you in the qualifying role. Being currently outside the company that would have served as that bridge tends to complicate the petition, since it must be filed by an eligible U.S. employer.

That does not necessarily mean a dead end. A few paths are worth evaluating:

• Whether another company within the same corporate group could sponsor you in the U.S.
• A new opportunity with an organization that has a qualifying corporate structure.
• Whether other categories may be more suitable if the EB-1C corporate tie cannot be established.

Since eligibility depends on the details of your corporate structure and documentation, it is worth reviewing your background with a specialist and confirming the current requirements with USCIS before deciding on your next step.

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.